Mutant Minds
by Nydiena
Summary: Growing concerned about the turtle's emotional and mental well-being, April calls in a favor from a childhood friend. Molly O'Shea has her work cut out for her. Can she help these teenagers work through their issues? Will they even give her a shot? From the 2003 universe. R&R welcome. ((This is not an OC love story))
1. Group Session 1

**I do not own any of the Mirage characters that may appear in this story including but not limited to the turtles, Splinter, April, etc.**

* * *

 **Group Session #1**

 **April POV  
**

You may think being friends with teenage mutant ninja turtles for almost four years would make you almost an expert on them but like most teenagers, they're pretty complicated. I finally decided to mix someone important from my past with the important ones in my present. I just hope it doesn't turn into something I'll soon regret.

* * *

 **Third person POV**

It was dark and she was being led by the hand. She could hear rushing water and the smell was a touch on the foul side. Beneath her feet was...cement? Stone? They did climb down a ladder...A sewer. They were walking through a sewer. She prayed she wouldn't encounter any rats. It wasn't that she didn't like the rodents, but anything living down here had to be unsanitary. The thought of being bitten by one gave her the shivers.

"We're almost there, Molly." A female voice murmured as they walked on.

"Thanks for the update, April." Molly replied. "I hope this is worth my while. As much as I enjoy walking blindfolded in a sewage system and all..." A chuckle from her companion brought a smile to her own lips.

They had been childhood friends for years. It was the same old story. Girl meets girl in elementary school. Both find they have something in common and deem their friendship the lasting kind. Only, this was something that ended up being true. Through slumber parties, camp outs in the back yard, petty fights over boys and high school drama, they lasted. Even after they parted for college. They kept in touch, speaking on the phone every week. Molly earned her PhD in Psychology and become a psychologist and April landed a job with THE Baxter Stockman.

Over the years, she could sense that her dear friend was keeping something hidden. Though it pained her that she could not confide in her, she never pried. She knew very well that one had to be ready to share their secrets. Then one day, she told her a brief summary of everything. Teenage mutant ninja turtle boys. She wouldn't have believed her if it wasn't for that one year those triceratops aliens invaded. That was actually the start to a whole lot of strange events happening in new York. Or maybe it started after the TCRI building incident. In a sense, she was almost grateful for them. Her clientele boomed. ET related anxiety was becoming a thing.

"Okay, we're here!" April announced removing the blindfold. She was informed earlier the purpose for the blindfold was something about protecting their home. Molly understood the need to keep home safe. She was no stranger to that kind of worry. After her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around the lair and her mouth nearly dropped.

"Is this...a pump station for a reservoir?" She gasped.

"An abandoned one." April replied. "They come upon it when they were forced out of their own home."

"Well, it's cleaner than a sewer."

There was a couch in front of a multitude of tvs attached together, an area that appeared to be a place for martial arts training, a number of entryways to who knows where, one with shoji doors...She couldn't believe her eyes. She could hear April laughing at her aghast expression and she quickly regained her composure.

"This was not quite what I expected." She stated to her friend. "Where are they?"

"That's a good question." Before April could call out their names, the shoji doors opened and out came a humanoid rat wearing a Japanese robe. He walked on his hind legs with the aid of a walking stick. Here, Molly nearly fainted. Behind him, four large turtle humanoids filed into the lair. "He doesn't bite."

"Huh?" Molly looked at her friend quizzically.

"Splinter. The rat." April clarified. "He doesn't bite. That look on your face. You're still traumatized from that time we snuck into the sewers when we were kids?"

"If you can't recall, that resulted in quite the infection and an aggressive antibiotic regimen...not to mention the scolding from my parents. I told you how crazy Korean mothers can get..."

"That reminds me, I need to have some of your mother's kimchi stew. It's been years." April mused.

"Ah, you have arrived." Splinter spoke as her drew near to the women. "Forgive us for not being here to welcome you."

"N-no, it's fine." Molly stammered. She quickly cleared her throat and held her hand out. "I'm Molly O'Shea." When Splinter took her hand, she was surprised at how soft his fur was. Now that he was standing before her, she took note of how well-groomed his appearance was. Okay, this one definitely was not going to bite her.

"These are my sons, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo." He stated, each turtle reacting to their name in a bow, nod or, in Michelangelo's case, an ecstatic wave. "I am Splinter."

"A pleasure." She nodded and moved on to business. "As their father, I am going to need your signature that states your approval of these sessions."

"Is that really necessary?" April inquired.

"With the state of the world, who knows how long before they are part of our society? I don't need a lawsuit on my hands."

"Woah, this lady's serious!" Michelangelo pointed.

"It is my goal to treat you no different from the rest of my clients." Molly turned her attention back to Splinter. "As you know, I am doing this pro bono. The experience itself will be payment enough. I have also written out a contract that states I will not share any information I obtained to the media and/or government."

"I forgot to mention how seriously she takes these things." April chuckled nervously.

"It is for everyone's safety." Molly elaborated as she opened her briefcase and pulled out a clip board and a pen. She handed both to Splinter. "If you can?" Splinter took the clipboard and carefully read it over before signing. As he handed her the clipboard, she handed over his copy of the contract. "This is for you. I have already signed it but if you need it adjusted any way, I would be more than happy to further discuss it with you." After perusing the contract Splinter nodded his head.

"Miss O'Shea, this will do just fine." He actually looked a bit cute when he smiled.

"Well, then. Shall we start?" Molly's attention turned to the turtles. "We'll start with a group session. Where shall we sit?" After some nervous mumbling and shuffling, they directed her over to the living areas where the TVs were. Splinter directed April into his room for a private training session. Once all were seated, Molly pulled out another clipboard.

"Please correct me if I'm wrong. Leonardo is the blue one, Raphael is in red, Donatello is purple and Michelangelo orange..." Each of them nodded. "Alright. As I mentioned before, my name is Molly O'Shea. You can call me Molly. I am here to counsel you. I have a PhD in psychology and I specialize in men in combat. Heroes much like yourself, specifically those with PTSD."

"Is this about the incident?" Donatello queried.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Molly replied. "I was merely informed that you...boys have been through a lot and could use someone to talk it out." She quirked a brow as Raphael elbowed Donatello in the plastron.

"Nice going, chucklehead." He muttered.

"So where shall we start?" She continued on. Silence. "I supposed neither of you have anything in particular your want to get off your chest?" More silence. Eyes were averting contact. "Very well, then. Let's start with an easy game. I would like to get to know each of you so why don't you describe yourself with one word? Anyone want to start?" Silence. "How about Michelangelo?"

"Uhm, how about funny?" He offered.

"Very good! And, Donatello?"

"S-smart, I guess." He murmured.

"Excellent." Molly smiled. "I'm pleased you have such positive views of yourselves. Leonardo?"

"Leader." He stated.

"Very interesting. And Raphael?"

"This is stupid." He grumbled.

"Can I pick a word for Raph?" Michelangelo raised his hand. "How about moody?" The turtle in red growled at his brother.

"We could add belligerent." Donatello chimed in.

"Unfocused." Leonardo added.

"Oh! Oh! Anger issues!" Michelangelo called out. Raphael swatted his brother over the head.

"Shut it, Mikey!" He snapped.

"Why don't we try keeping our hands to ourselves?" Molly piped in with a shake of her head. "Well, you clearly have a normal brotherly relationship. This is good. I think it's time to start with the solo sessions. Why don't we start with Michelangelo?" The youngest turtle yelped as the other three stood and walked away chuckling. "Don't worry, I'll be nice."

* * *

 **Author's not:** **This is my first TMNT Fanfic.** **Here it is, the start to an analysis of our favorite turtles. It is my hope that I can give each of them equal time in the limelight. I wanted a story that addresses the psychological effect that their lifestyles put them through. At the end of the day, these are teens. Solo session to come soon.**

 **Update 12/21/15: Decided to add 1st person narrated intros to give it the same feel as the 2003 cartoon.**


	2. Solo Session 1

**Solo Session #1**

 **Michelangelo POV  
**

That's right. I'm finally talking to a total babe who has the sexy librarian thing totally going on. Only she's not so much interested in just me. She wants to talk to my brothers, too. No, it's not like that. As a favor to April we agreed to see a shrink to help us with our family troubles. I sure as shell didn't expect a hot ticket like Molly. I would have been thrilled if I wasn't so worried about her thinking I was some lunatic. Come on! We're just teenage mutant ninja turtles! That's pretty normal if you ask me!

* * *

 **Third person POV**

Molly peered over her glasses as she watched Michelangelo fidget on the couch. His jokester personality was significantly muted behind the anxiety of speaking with a psychologist. It was hard to see him as a teenager. He was about her height of 5'2. He wore an orange mask over his eyes and had nunchucks tucked into the belt at his waist. His appearance did not give away his age. He could have been anywhere from 16-30 and she wouldn't have known. Then again, she never dealt with mutants before. She cleared her throat and shifted into a more comfortable position in her seat.

"Let's begin." She stated as he flinched. "Is there something wrong?"

"No no no!" Michelangelo waved his hands. "Everything is just fine!"

"Michelangelo." Molly took her glasses off and leaned forward. "I'm Just getting to know you today. Talking to a psychologist doesn't mean you're crazy. This is just a chat. If you have a problem, we can work through this."

"Okay."

"Why don't we start by talking about what you like."

"Like, comic books?"

"Sure." Molly leaned back and put her glasses on. "Which ones do you like?"

"Well, The Justice Force is totally awesome!" Michelangelo started. He smiled sheepishly. "You probably haven't heard of it."

"On the contrary, I have some clients about your age." She chuckled. "They actually got me into it. So you like the hero type of comics?"

"Yeah!" He straightened up in his seat. "You know, I worked with Silver Sentry."

"That's amazing. You must have been so excited."

"Yeah! We took down Baxter Stockman together!"

"You enjoy being a hero?"

"I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Nothing beats taking down some goons with my bros."

"You view them in high regard?"

"Well, yeah." He smiled. "They always have my back, you know? I mean, we fight and stuff but when we're out there fighting, we take care of each other."

Molly smiled and jotted down a couple of notes as he continued. As expected, he was a good warm up to the sessions to come. She suspected the happy disposition was a defense mechanism but only time would truly tell that. Perhaps he would be the easiest to assist.

* * *

Donatello sat in his seat with his hands grasping one another as he stared at the floor. Molly shifted some papers around on her clipboard and adjusted her glass. The turtle before her wore a bo staff on his back. Purple appeared to be his choice of mask. He was the leanest of the turtles and the same height as Michelangelo. He started speaking, glancing up.

"None of us is crazy." He looked back at the ground. "We've seen a lot but we aren't crazy."

"The crazy aren't the only people to see psychologists." Molly murmured.

"Well, you have to admit, that there is a stigma."

"Of course. It's still common for people to view seeing a therapist as a weakness." Molly removed her glasses. "But much as we need to take care of our physical health, our psychological health requires just as much attention.

"Our psychological health is sound!" Donatello declared looking straight at Molly with all seriousness.

"Look. 'Crazy' is not a term used in my field." Molly sighed replacing her glasses. "Everyone has issues. Be it big or small, we all have something going on. I'm only here to help. I'm not here to judge or lock you up in an asylum. April is under the impression that you guys need me so I'm going to do my due diligence."

"You won't be telling April what we say?" Donatello inquired after a moment of silence.

"That would be a HIPPA violation." Molly affirmed. The turtle smiled.

"I just had to be sure."

"Fair enough. Now, shall we begin?" Molly crossed one leg over the other. "You describe yourself as smart. Why is that significant to you?"

"We all have our thing. I just like creating or building things to help my brothers on our missions." Donatello explained, looking a touch more relaxed. "I love to learn. I'm often trying to expand my knowledge on...well...Everything. I'm not as strong, focused or quick as my brothers in battle but I'm still useful."

"Is it important being useful to them?"

"Of course. I know my brothers will look out for me and I have to protect them, too, by whatever means I can." Donatello murmured. "In my case, that's keeping us prepared with the right electronics, vehicles or even ideas to help us survive."

"Sounds like you put yourselves in the line of danger."

"I...We're ninjas. Brothers" Donatello looked at the ground again. "We keep each other safe and complete our mission."

Molly listened as Donatello stumbled over his words for the rest of the session. When he spoke of something he was passionate about, he articulated it with all the grace in the world. She watches as his eyes lit up, speaking about the newest invention he had prepared for his brothers. She made a note on his need to protect them. Something traumatic could have triggered that. There was an edge in his voice when he said the word "survive." It was too soon to dig into the story behind that, but she would ease them into it eventually.

* * *

Somehow, Molly managed to keep a straight face as the red masked teen stared her down from his seat. Muscular arms crossed over his plastron, he simply glowered at her. He was the tallest of the four at 5'5 and the biggest in muscle mass. There was no question he was the brawn of the group and, from how the others piped in about him during the group session, the angriest. She took note of the sais tucked into his belt. An interesting weapon.

"You look unhappy." Molly stated, deciding she would have to be the one to start the session off."

"I don't need no shrink to tell my feelings to." Raphael snapped.

"That's fine." Molly gave him a wry smile. "If you insist on glaring at me for the next fifty minutes, suit yourself."

"Maybe I will."

"Raphael," Molly sighed. "This is still the point where I'm getting to know you. You don't have to share the depths of your soul. You can talk about anything."

"Don't got anything to talk about."

"How about your brothers' way of describing you?" Molly flipped through her clipboard to the page where she noted the group session. "Moody. Belligerent. Unfocused. Anger issues. Would you say these were accurate?"

"..."

"Does it upset you that your brothers view you in this fashion?"

"..." Raphael looked away then at her. He opened his mouth a couple of times before a growl pushed forward. "I've got nothin' to say to you."

Molly forced a smile and spent the rest of the session doodling while he glowered at her. She had clients like him before. The kind that take a little while to open up. With this one, patience would be the best method. He would approach her when he was ready. She had to give him credit for his commitment to being obstinate. His behavior further validated her feelings on his major problem. Anger. A lot of it. The question was, why? Anger was a secondary emotion. Was it fear? Disappointment? Sadness? The beginning was always the hardest part in these types of sessions. So many questions to ask and not one to be answered.

* * *

When Leonardo sat down, Molly took note that he only showed an expression of minor unease. The eldest brother stood at the full height of 5'4. Two katana were sheathed and attacked to the back of his shell. He wore a blue mask over his eyes. His demeanor held quite a degree of calm compared to his brothers. So still.

"Well, I hope you don't mind being the last one." Molly smiled.

"It's alright. Someone has to be." Leonardo stated calmly.

"You don't appear to be as bothered as your other brothers."

"We are all doing this for April." Leonardo picked his words carefully. "She seems to be under the impression we should speak with you."

"Do you trust her judgment?"

"It's why I'm here."

"Do you think you need to speak with me?" Molly inquired. Leonardo thought for a moment before speaking.

"What has April said about us?" He questioned.

"Not a whole lot." Molly replied. "I got the impression that there may be some emotional issues that needed to be sorted out."

"We are trained in the art of ninjitsu." He murmured. "In any form of martial art, one must maintain control of their emotions. We meditate and train. We keep focused."

"Would you say you possess the strength needed to do all of that?" She inquired.

"I do."

"What of your brothers?"

"..."

"Earlier, you identified with being a leader."

"Master Splinter...our father chose me." Leonardo explained. "It is my responsibility to guide and look out for my brothers as the eldest...As their leader."

"That's a lot of responsibility to have."

"I can handle it."

"You do have a gift for maintaining your composure when you're uncomfortable." Molly shifted in her seat. Sitting for hours was starting to take its toll. "Sometimes being too composed can reveal the discomfort under it all. I understand this is not an ideal situation for any of you. You are doing this for someone who seems to think you need my help. Yet what I am getting from you is that everything is under control." Leonardo responded with a slow nod. "Then let's talk about your brothers."

"My brothers?"

"Do you find them to be in as much control as you are?"

"I..."

"No family is without its fights." Molly continued. "Especially four brothers. Can you say with all honesty that they have never escalated?"

"What do you mean?"

"I will be frank with you. You are all teenagers who face life-threatening situations on a frequent basis. Correct me if I'm wrong. You all have weapons. You are built like athletes or soldiers. The art of ninjitsu is not without its risk if you are following it beyond the training. On top of that, you are fairly isolated due to the fact you are mutated turtles and can't really go out in the daylight without drawing attention. Perhaps even unwelcomed attention." Here, she leaned forward. "If you can tell me that you are all well-adjusted living this way, then I don't need to be here."

"..." Leonardo looked down and closed his eyes. She could tell he was battling with himself on something. "As long as we're together, we can make it through anything."

"What if one of you doesn't pull through?" The moment she asked the question, she could see an immediate change in his disposition. A determined expression settled on his face.

"That isn't an option."

Though he answered each of her questions, it was done carefully. Deliberately. In a sense, he was the strongest of the brothers due to his mental control. This also put him at risk. She could sense the strain within being strong all the time. One who shoulders the responsibility does not often give themselves room for weakness. This could result in burning out. Neither of them had to say anything for her to know that these band of brothers have been through and seen more than their fair share of hardships and trauma.

* * *

April led Molly away from the pump station through the sewers without the blindfold this time. Splinter decided she could be trusted from their first meeting which was a relief. She hated the idea of walking blindfold day in and day out. The area was dimly lit anyway. Was it always this dark or was the sun setting outside? April peered at her friend, wanting to say something but not quite sure if she should. They finally reached the ladder that led to the manhole.

"I think weekly session with each of them would be a good start." Molly finally spoke. "And monthly group sessions. These boys are amazing for their strength of character in spite of all they must have lived through...I can see the war on their faces."

"Thanks, Molly." April sighed. "I know this is asking a lot but I didn't know who else to turn to. They are my family and I want what's best for them."

"I know that more than anyone." Molly took April's hand into hers and smiled. "I think this is an appropriate choice. I want to help these guys. It may take some time. Teenagers are tough enough to get through to...let alone mutant ninja turtles...with a rat father...You sure know how to pick 'em, Miss O'Neil."

"Well, you never shy from a challenge, Miss O'Shea." With a chuckle, both woman climbed up the ladder.

"Jesus, April! How the hell do you have the strength to move this damn thing!?" Molly cried out trying to push against the heavy metal covering the hole. "Was it all the that training with Splinter?"

"Guess I'm just used to it." April reached up and helped her friend heave the cover off the manhole. "Once I get the okay from Splinter, I can show you a much easier way to the lair that doesn't involve manholes." Molly shook her head and climbed out. This was quite an interesting turn to her life and she had a long way to go.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I was in a bit of a rush to pump this chapter out. I wanted to get the ball rolling. Sometimes the result just runs away from me. Please let me know what you think.**

 **Update 12/21/15: Decided to add 1st person narrated intros to give it the same feel as the 2003 cartoon.**


	3. Solo session 10

**This chapter has spoilers from Same As It Never Was and Good Genes.**

 **Solo Session #10**

 **Donatello POV  
**

My name is Donatello and I am NOT a crazy person. There is something about seeing a psychologist that makes any one worry about their own mental well-being. Molly has been seeing us for nine weeks and I'm finding it easier to talk to her. I would have never dreamed that I would see anyone to talk about my problems or that my problems _were_ problems in the first place. I'm just hoping things aren't too rocky for my brothers but knowing them, it's probably worse than being locked in a Triceraton prison.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

As she made her way through the tunnel from April's basement, she gathered her thoughts about the past few sessions. There was still a lot of work to do and she barely scratched the surface these past ten weeks. There had to be some way of breaking through. She noticed that it helped when she stopped bringing a clipboard. Perhaps the turtles felt better about her not writing down every little thing they shared. She would have to write her notes from memory which wasn't too hard for her. The clipboard was more for show to lull people into thinking there were important things to be written. It was mostly doodles to help clear her mind as she assimilated each session. The turtles were a special case which made the lack of doodling manageable.

When she entered the lair she noticed three of the brothers sitting on the couch in front of the tv. It appeared that Michelangelo had bandages wrapped around his head. Knowing that she would hear about the story behind that from, Michelangelo himself, she decided not to wonder too much about it. She made her way to the shoji doors that led to Splinter's room and gently rapped on them.

"Enter." The rat master's voice called from inside. Molly slid the door open. On either side of the door, were stair cases. She made her way down and turned toward the area in which Splinter typically sat. The sensei was at a table on the floor with his legs cross over the other in lotus position. Candles lit the the room, giving away the dance of shadows on the wall. Leonardo was sitting before his master with his head hanging. Internally, Molly winced. It seemed like she just interrupted a lecture. "Miss O'Shea. I apologize, I did not recognize what time it was."

"That's actually my fault." She stated on the contrary. "I arrived a bit early. I can wait."

"No, we are done here." Splinter said more to Leonardo than to her. The eldest turtle stood, bowed and brushed passed her with a grim expression.

 _Oh, Splinter..._ Molly thought, briefly glancing in the turtle's direction. _You have given me something to work on. You beautiful, rat genius._

"Please, Miss O'Shea. Sit." Splinter gestured to the floor in front of his table. She slipped her shoes off and stepped in, gingerly closing the sliding door behind. She lowered herself before the sensei, sitting on her heels as she propped herself on her knees. Molly was no stranger to sitting before a master. Her mother had made her take Tae Kwon Do as a child and she never really stopped.

"You wanted to see me before I started my session with the boys?" She inquired.

"Have you had any luck in these sessions?"

"Michelangelo speaks more easily though we have yet to brush on his inner demons. Donatello is still nervous about something. I cannot quite reach what it is." Tipping her head back, Molly thought of Raphael. "Raphael has moved from silence to answering yes-no questions. I say that's improvement. Your eldest son..." Here is when Molly and the rat made eye contact. "You may have trained him a little too well in the art of Ninjutsu. He answers my questions honestly but avoids going into depth. To the untrained mind, he would appear well-adjusted and in control."

"Yes..." Splinter sighed. "I fear I may be at fault for this. I am hardest on him."

"From a cultural standpoint, I understand how you are raising him." Molly murmured. "I am not Japanese but my mother is Korean and the discipline and high expectations are quite similar. I am concerned that they are putting their lives at risk at this age...but they are not normal teenage boys. I fell that you aimed to keep them safe from the outside world that initially will not try to understand the hardship of mutated turtles."

"Miss O'Shea, I am grateful to your dedication to my sons." Splinter bowed his head and Molly bowed back.

"It is my pleasure." A smiled made its way to her lips. "In fact, they are sort of growing on me..."

* * *

Molly took advantage of what she had just walked in and started her round of sessions off with Leonardo. She feared he would have regained his composure by the time she left Splinter's room but he still looked dejected. Raphael seemed a touch amused as Leonardo left the group of brothers to head toward his room. They have decided to run the sessions in their preferred spaces for better privacy and to free up the media center. Leonardo's room was simple and oriental in décor. A mat for sleeping laid at the far end of the room. In the middle of the room was a table with a vase holding a single Sakura branch. Against the right side of the wall was a book shelf. At first glance, Molly could see books on Bushido, tactics and poetry. She sat on the floor at the table and Leonardo sat across from her. It was then she noticed bruising on the side of his cheek.

"You don't seem like yourself today." Molly said. _Or should I say that you're not like the person you're trying to show me?_

"It's been a difficult day." The terrapin stated looking at his hands as they rested on his knees.

"Would you like to share?"

"Not especially."

"How about you try." Molly asked firmly. Leonardo quickly looked up and hesitated. "I know it's only been a couple of months but I think that's enough time to show you that I'm not here to tear you down. Utilize me. Even if it's simply to vent over the frustrations of the day."

"...I don't know what happened." He began. "We were running on the rooftop. We rarely every go out during the day but I talked Master Splinter into letting us work on out stealth. Mikey was goofing off as usual. I decided to teach him a lesson and suggested a spar. He wasn't paying attention. Later, Mikey told me that he suddenly couldn't see during it. Donnie thinks that the sun hit something reflective and it hit him in the eyes. I-I didn't notice until after I had kicked him in the chest and he went flying off the roof. Luckily, there was a fire escape not too far below but he hit his head on the rail."

"How did you get the bruises to your face?" Molly inquired.

"Raph." He sighed out the name. "He lost it..."

"Are you even seeing this as an accident?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've come in a few times when you four were training." Molly went on. "In fact, I have seen you spar with Raphael. He was not too happy at that time as well and you dodged him with ease, taking advantage of his anger. So now you're saying he lost it. Has he learned how to aim better when enraged within the last few weeks?" She could see Leonardo tensing. "I think you let him hit you. Perhaps you are punishing yourself?"

"It was my fault..."

"It was an oversight." Molly said. "Mistakes happen but the result was not fatal."

"We can't afford to make mistakes!" Leonardo snapped. " _I_ can't afford to make mistakes..."

"Do you trust your brothers?"

"Of course, I do!"

"To protect you?"

"Yes!"

"To protect each other?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust them to go on a serious mission without you?"

"What are you implying?"

"Do you?"

"Of course...I mean...I..." Leonardo grit his teeth. "I would prefer to be there..."

"Have the others ever taken charge before?"

"Yes."

"Did it make you uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Molly watched as Leonardo struggled with the answer. "What happened today...was not because of you. There were factors you couldn't have possibly predicted. Sometimes the sun just blinds you. Sometimes people can't dodge like they normally can. Sometimes we miscalculate. If we can't make room for mistakes, how can we learn from them? I get the feeling you will work on your awareness of how your brothers are faring when you spar with them. Leonardo, you are a hard worker. Leaders are not meant to be infallible. There is no growth when one is 'perfect' and perfection does not truly exist. Trust yourself to make mistakes. Trust your brothers to be there when that happens. More importantly, trust them to be independent of you once in a while. You can't always be there."

"..." He looked at his hands again.

"I'm going to cut our session short. We made a huge leap today and I think you should rest and take some time to think. Not on your failures. Think about how you can learn from this." Molly stood and left the eldest turtle to his thoughts.

* * *

As Molly sat on a short stool, she watched Raphael pace back and forth. His room was a bit messy. Weights, a punching back and posters of motorcycles decorated the room. She gathered that the hammock was his choice of bedding. Hands folded in her lap, she allowed the fiery turtle to continue his pacing for another minute or so before she cleared her throat to indicate it was time to talk.

"I gather you are upset about something." She stated.

"You're damn right, I am!" Raphael growled. "Leo! That idiot! Every time he feels like he messes up, he loses himself and puts us in danger! It's like since that-" The larger turtle caught himself and paused. "Since before you came here, he's been going down a dark path. Only this time, he's just not focusing at all."

"Something happened before our sessions began." Molly smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt. "Do you care to share what that is?"

"No."

"Another time, then. I noticed he had quite a bruise on his face." She quirked a brow as he winced.

"I-I got so mad." He mumbled. "I thought Mikey was dead and I just saw red. He let me, too. He just let me like he was asking for it. Donnie was busy checking on Mikey to stop it. He usually stops it."

"There are other times you and Leonardo butt heads?"

"Yeah..." Raphael stopped pacing and stared in her direction. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I just...I need to do something." He started pacing again. "I don't need your help or anything. I'm just talking out loud so don't go thinking that I'm trying to share my feelings or whatever."

"Feeling anger is normal when a family member is hurt." Molly followed him with her eyes. "It's what you're doing with your anger that is a bit troublesome."

"Well, what do you expect me to do?!" Raphael snapped. "Hold Leo's hand and tell him it's okay? Our fearless leader fucked up! He acts like he's Mr. Perfect and keeps trying to show us up but when he starts making mistakes, the world is over! Fuck him!" He slammed his fist into the punching back. "It's all his fault anyway. He treats us like we can't do anything without him but he's the one trying to take on everything. What are we supposed to do?"

"You're worried about him." She let it sink in before she continued. "This is where your anger comes from. Your inability to express your concern, fear, anxiety...any negative thought or emotion, you turn it into rage. Something you can act with."

"Oh, no." The turtle took a few steps toward her and pointed a finger at her. "You're not going to be analyzing me. Not today!"

"It's okay for people to see who you are underneath the anger, Raphael." Molly said leaning forward. "It doesn't make you weak. You're a protector of your brothers but you seem to resist that role until there is a need. Regardless, the trust they have in you is very apparent. That anger can be very dangerous, however."

"Yeah, yeah! I've heard it all before!"

"But you don't allow it to bother you until it escalates. Then you try to convince yourself that you are entitled to that anger and all the actions that come from it."

"Shut up!" He growled. "Who are you? You don't know a damn thing about me! You don't know what me and my brothers have been through! You sit all prim and proper without a fucking care in the world! I bet you've never had your hands dirty! You don't even know the first thing about what it's like for us here! You're nothing like us!" Molly slowly breathed out. Though her expression showed nothing of the sort, she wanted to give him a good slap.

"I understand it's easy to try to push all this on someone else but this is not about me and what I have or have not experienced." She asserted standing up. "You make a valid it point. I don't know what you have been through but it's because of the things you've been through that I am here. It obviously bothers you, given your reaction, and you are not taking a healthy approach to working it out. You can continue to think it's fine leaving things as they are but then that puts you in the same place as your brother. You are concerned about him putting your brothers in danger but you also run that risk with your anger. How long before it gets out of control?"Raphael walked up to Molly and stood face to face with her. They stood in a staring match, neither one relenting. He turned and gave the punching back another strike.

"You think you're so smart!"

"No. I think we have accomplished something we haven't been able to to do for the last nine weeks."

"What's that?"

"We actually had a conversation that lasted more than a few sentences." Molly smiled, taking a seat. "You finally spoke about how you felt about a situation. Even if it is about your anger, that is better than sharing nothing. That is a step toward healing."

"Whatever."

"Listen. All that pride you are holding that keeps you from saying how you feel, that's going to eat away at you. I will reiterate that my job is to help you. I don't gain anything material from doing this. I'm not the enemy. I'm not here to deem you a crazy person. Your anger is a problem. That's something even you know. Half the battle is done. You just need be ready to better it before I can work my magic." Molly glanced at her watch. "Looks like it's time to wrap this session up. Just think about what I said." She stood and started to leave the room.

"Hey, Molly."

"Hm?" She stopped and turned to the teenager.

"Thanks." He muttered, looking away. She smiled again and gave him a nod. As she left the room, she could hear him going to work on the punching bag.

* * *

Donatello's room was full of gadgets, tools and wires. He had a single bed, a table for assembling things and a desk for his computer and notes. Every techno geek would be drooling at the sight of his set up. Top-of-the-line computers with neck-breaking wireless speed. He sat in his computer chair and Molly sat on the perfectly made bed, wondering if he even slept in it. It wouldn't surprise her if he had told her he spent most of his sleep in that chair.

"I take it they talked about what happened today." Donatello stated. He was always the one to start the sessions.

"That's right." Molly replied. "I take it you have a word or two to say about that?" Their sessions had been gaining speed as of the last few weeks when they spoke about the time he was affected by the mutagen that turned him into a monster turtle. Something that was a result of a crazed government agent's experimentation.

"Leo and Raph have always been at each other's throats but it's been getting worse lately."

"How does that make you feel?"

"I don't know. Frustrated? It's counterproductive and it's been getting physical. Mikey and I usually break it up before it gets too far but I couldn't today...As you probably know, I had to take a look at Mikey. I think he was more stunned than anything but head injuries are no joke. His neuros have been fine."

"Donatello." Molly sighed. "Let's talk about you. You're like a mother hen worrying about your brothers. All is calm now. Michelangelo is fine. Your brothers aren't battling it out. Let's focus on you. There seems to be something that is triggering all of this."

"Twice, so far, I wasn't there for them."

"Today?"

"No. I mean..." Donatello paused and gathered his thoughts. "You know about the time I was mutated...Well...Moreso than usual."

"Yes."

"Mikey told me that it was hard for them without me there. They needed me but I couldn't be there for them. I always thought I was unimportant until..."

"Until?"

"This may sound crazy. Insane even, but you have to believe me." Donatello asserted.

"Believe what?" Molly felt like she was in a sci-fi film with Donatello. He always shared the most fantastic things.

"Way before I mutated, I was transported to the future. The others were transported to other dimensions or places in the universe...But me..." His features became grim.

"Go on."

"It had been 30 years. Mikey...His left arm was mostly gone. He looked so tired. But that wasn't the worst of it." Donatello chuckled bitterly. "Raph and Leo had a big blow out, I guess, and had left. Master Splinter was gone. Casey was gone. I wasn't there to stop it. I couldn't help anyone. I wasn't there. I managed to get everyone together again. Raph, Mikey, Leo and I... We were together. But...they all ended up..." Molly watched him choke over the last word that he simply could not get out. He didn't need to. She could tell where this was going.

"So after that, you mutated again and all of this brings back that fear of not being able to be there."

"With Leo and Raph at each other's throats, I can't stand the thought of never being around. I can't have them disappear. I can't have them leave Mikey alone."

"But you are here. Every obstacle you have faced; you have overcome." Molly assured him. "Witnessing your brother's demise is a heavy memory to carry even if they are alive and well now. Do you ever get flash backs?"

"I dream about it sometimes." He confessed.

"And how well do you sleep on a normal basis?"

"Not very well. I have trouble falling asleep so I work until I pass out."

"You have symptoms of PTSD, but you're already subconsciously treating it." Molly pointed out.

"I am?"

"Exercise, connecting with others, keeping yourself busy...When you are moving, you keep yourself from getting stuck in the trauma. It's a good start. Now when you are sleeping, that is a time when all you have is your thoughts so it is easy to let them drift to the trauma. From now on, we will be facing your trauma in our sessions to help you cope in a healthy way. Does this sound like something you would be up for?"

"I don't think it could make it any worse." Donatello responded. "As long as it stops the nightmares."

"Trying is all we can do for now." Molly affirmed.

* * *

Michelangelo had a room full of comic books, videogames and snacks. His room was probably the messiest of the four. He had a bunk bed with disheveled sheets. An orange cut slept on the bottom bunk, undisturbed by Molly's presence. She took a seat on a clean part of the floor across from the youngest turtle. He happily flipped though the latest issue of The Justice Force as he hummed to himself.

"Have you read it yet?" He asked eagerly.

"I haven't and I would appreciate it if you didn't give away and spoilers." Molly chuckled.

"No problem, Molly-O!" A nickname he dubbed her for whatever reason.

"Well, Mikey," Molly began. He insisted she call him that, stating hearing his full name made him feel like he was in trouble. "Shall we start?"

"You want to talk about my head, right?"

"I take it you're doing alright since you still have your usual untapped energy."

"Nothing can stop me!" He declared, putting the comic book away. "I really thought I was a goner when I went over the edge. Then everything went black. When I woke up, Donnie was shining a light in my eyes. He said he was checking my pupils. I could hear Raph shouting at Leo. Man, he was angry! He finally stopped when Donnie called out that I was okay. It was a good thing, too."

"How do you feel about all this?"

"I mean, it was scary at first, but I'm okay now." Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders. "The others are taking it pretty hard. It was obviously an accident."

"I've been meaning to ask." Molly moved on. "What keeps you from getting angry?"

"It's all about the positivity, man! If I let the good energy in, then I won't have room for the bad energy. That's why Raph and Leo are so messed up. Bad energy. They just need to chill and take in the good energy. It follows you around, you know?"

"I guess that's a good theory." Molly couldn't tell if he was really this well-adjusted or if it was just a cover. "I have to say, it's amazing that you have that kind of optimism given all the chaos around you."

"I can't let everything bring me down. That's a waste of energy. I have everything I want here." He grinned. "I have my brothers, Master Splinter, my comics, movies and videogames. I'm also the Nexus Battle champion."

"What about 'the incident' everyone is tiptoeing around?" She could see his face drop.

"Aw, Molly-O, I would love to tell you but Raph would bury me ten feet under if he found out I squealed."

"Fair enough. You don't have to talk about it, but it has changed things. How does that make you feel?"

"There's nothing I can really do about it. Raph and Leo are going to do the same thing they always do. The only thing Donnie and I do is make sure it doesn't get too bad. Leo was in a good place, too, before it all happened." Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders. "We always get things thrown at us. Every time we think the coast is clear, something else comes Shredder, Baxter Stockman...even the Triceratons! I got to do some pretty cool things but not everything was great. Leo got like this before when we were beaten by The Shredder. I just think he need to go and train with the Ancient One again, but he probably won't."

"You talk an awful lot about your brothers. Let's talk about you." Molly took her glasses off. "You lost your home twice. You and your brothers have escaped death numerous amount of times. You're constantly exposed to the strife within your family."

"I don't like to think about it too much. I'm fine this way. I don't need to be angry like Raph or worried like Donnie or a buzzkill like Leo."

"My concern is that being too well-adjusted can mean there are some hidden demons that have yet to get out."

"Not here." He picked up his comic book and began to hum again as he flipped through the pages. She knew when she was being shut down.

* * *

As Molly walked back through the tunnel, her thoughts drifted to the challenges that awaited her. She made some head way with Leonardo and Raphael. Donatello had been consistent in his sessions. Michelangelo surprised her. She had initially figured he would have been the easiest to work with but his happy disposition was the hardest wall to tear down. If she tried too hard, she could shatter him but if she left it alone, he would potentially snap. April greeted her at the entrance and the two went to her apartment for tea.

"Part of me thinks that it would be easier to know them if I went on patrol with them. If they are focused on their mission, they wouldn't be able to put their guard up around me." Molly mused.

"They have the strangest luck." April shook her head. "Every time they think they have time to relax, they end up getting thrown into a new situation. I don't know how they do it."

"They have each other but there is something blocking that now and I'm determined to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

 **Author's note: This story is running away from me. I am trying to decide if I want to ignore the Fast Forward Season or not...I haven't watched them and I'm not sure if I want to touch it. For now, this is pre-Fast Forward, Post-Ninja Tribunal.**

 **Update 12/21/15: Decided to add 1st person narrated intros to give it the same feel as the 2003 cartoon.**


	4. The Incident

**The Incident**

 **Raphael POV**

We've been seein' Molly for about three months now and I'm still not seein' a point to it. Leo's still wound up tight and gettin' on my nerves. I have to admit, she's been sort of growin' on me. The only other chick I talk to is April but she's not tryin' to get in my head. I guess you can't be called a maniac without someone thinking you need some kind of therapy. Me, I just think it's all a waste of time.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

Molly's cellphone rang as she made her way through the tunnel. A bit surprised she could get service, she took the call with gritted teeth. She knew very well what it was about and she was not in the mood to argue. Being employed under the government to analyze soldiers who came in contact with the Triceratons was beginning to be more demanding than usual. There was a sudden influx of patients who spewed bigoted statements about anything non-human. Some had even mentioned the turtles, mistaking them for aliens and she could not help but take it personally when they talked about them as if they were monsters. Her employers urged her to pick up more patients, more hours to better accommodate them.

"I told you specifically what hours I would be agreeable to work. I can find work elsewhere." She asserted. "Negotiation is not an option. We agreed on this when I first started two years ago." She listened intently as she stepped into the lair. "I don't care if they want to see me. I am not the only one who specializes in these cases...No, a raise won't make a difference. Hello? You're breaking up. I will have to call you back; I have some appointments to make. Hello? Hello!" Exasperated, she began to furiously text on her phone when she crashed into a large unknowing creature with leathery skin.

Molly adjusted her glasses and peered up at what seemed to be a large, humanoid alligator. The color disappeared from her face as she stared at the beast. Words escaped her. Not even a scream dared to come forth so intense was her fear. The creature looked back at her as if it suddenly realized she was what had bumped into him.

"Pardon me." He said. When she did not respond, he became aware of how he must look to a human who had seen him for the first time and he waved his hands. "Oh! Please don't be frightened! I mean you no harm!"

"You're talking." She whispered, rational thinking clearly not functioning as he was not the first humanoid animal she encountered.

"Oh! Woah! Molly-O! Don't worry about old LH here!" Michelangelo shouted, coming into view from the media center his brothers following close by.

"He's really a gentle giant!" Donatello offered.

"Most of the time." Raphael added.

"LH?" She shook her head and began to piece together her composure.

"Please, you may call me Leatherhead." The alligator stated holding out his hand.

"M-molly." She forced out, taking a hold of his large, scaly hand in a trembling handshake. "Sorry, I...I'm not used to...I'm hearing your words but it's just a lot to take in right now."

"Of course." He turned to the brothers. "I believe it is time to take my leave."

"Oh, please don't leave on my account!" Molly's shaking voice faltered under her panic.

"On the contrary, I have other things to attend to." He bowed his head slightly in a nod. "It was a pleasure." Molly watched him leave, wide-eyed and embarrassed for her reaction. After all of the things she had seen, she let this expose her fear. Giving herself a moment to collect her composed demeanor, she turned to the turtles who looked amused to see this new side of her.

"Raphael, I will be seeing you first." She was relieved her voice stopped shaking.

* * *

"So ya met Leatherhead. Pretty scary, huh? Afraid he might be hungry for some human meat?" Molly just about wanted to hurl something at Raphael to wipe the grin off of his face.

"Stop being ridiculous. We have a lot of work to do." She huffed and took a seat on her stool. "Now where did we leave off last time...?" Suddenly a different phone went off. She pulled it from her pocket with a frown.

"Somebody forgot to shut their phone off. Am I going to have to take it before the end of class?" He taunted folding his arms over his plastron. Molly only scowled in response as she answered it.

"Molly speaking..." She spoke softly into the receiver. "Lexa, are you alright? I'm in the middle of a sess-" For the second time that day, the color drained from her face. "Alright, alright. I'm here..." She stood from the stool and started to leave the room. "I understand..."

Raphael followed her up to the entryway of his room and let his gaze follow her the rest of the way as she walked down the hall, murmuring into the phone. Leonardo was below, slashing his swords in the air. He halted his exercise to watch her. Donatello and Michelangelo paused their scrimmage via video game. The seriousness of her demeanor slowly oozed into the lair.

"You think she's alright?" Michelangelo inquired.

"I don't know." Donatello replied. "She usually never brings her phone or turns it off before a session.

"No, I AM listening but you have to understand you are breaking up." She spoke with urgency. "No one finds you a burden. Why don't we meet somewhere? You're where!? Don't move! I will be right there! Please. Stay. Put." She hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh and turned realizing all eyes were on her. "I'm sorry but we'll have to reschedule. An emergency came up. Donatello."

"Yes?" The turtle stood from his seat and approached her.

"What is the fastest way to Manhattan Bridge from here?"

* * *

Molly gripped onto the edge of Raphael's shell as hard as she could as they sped down the New York streets on his motorcycle. She squeezed her eyes shut not exactly trusting a turtle of his age not to get them killed. With a shaky sigh, she forced herself to focus on the issue at hand.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but you need to speed it up." Molly yelled over the muffling of her mask and the rumbling of the cycle.

"Now you're talking my language! "Raphael boomed over the roaring engine.

He picked up speed much to Molly's displeasure. She opened one eye to see the distant Manhattan Bridge coming closer. Her heart leapt with relief that she would soon be off of this bike and hope that she wasn't too late. She could feel them decelerate as they skidded to a stop. Raphael must have spotted who they were looking for. Molly climbed off the motorcycle and removed her helmet. She spotted Lexa a little ways ahead.

"You should go now." Molly instructed Raphael before running off.

Lexa was woman in her early 20s. She was a petite blonde with a scar across her left collarbone. Her eyes were on the water below as she stood on the rail. Molly quickly approached her from behind.

"I'm here. You don't need to stand so close to the edge."

"I got nothing to live for, Molly." Lexa called out. "The results came in. I've got cancer. There's no way I can afford that. I don't want to go through all that. "

"You aren't alone in this." Molly spoke calmly. "I'm sure there are options. Your mother?"

"I can't burden my family with this!" Lexa snapped. "She would just looove this!"

"Lexa, you can fight through this. If you don't step away from the edge, you can' t fight through those consequences."

"I don't _want_ to fight anymore. Why do I always have to?"

"That's the point in being alive. We fight for what we want because it allows us to appreciate the value of what we earn." Molly took another step closer, offering her hand. "Think of all you've achieved up to this point! Look at how far you've come! A part of you still wants to fight. That's why you called me. Let me help you. We can put our heads together and figure this out."

"You're really going to help me?"

"I haven't let you down yet." Lexa went to grab her hand. She lost her footing and dropped. Molly reflexively grabbed her by the arm and could feel the weight of Lexa drag her over the edge. She looked down to see that she had fainted. The dead weight of the unconscious woman was pulling her over. Her hands began to ache from the resistance of her pull and she began to fear that she was not going to be able to pull up. Molly suddenly felt someone grab her around the waist and pull her back. Her grip tightened on Lexa as she and the younger woman fell back on the ground. Looking up over her shoulder, Molly saw her savior. Raphael.

"You stayed." Her voice barely going over a whisper.

"A good thing, too." He said.

"Thank you. If you could do me another favor and help bring her to my apartment, I would really appreciate it."

"Yeah..." Raphael hoisted the unconscious girl up and over his shoulder as they walked to the motor cycle. Molly sat at the end while Raphael placed Lexa in front of her. Once she placed the helmet on and had her arms around her unconscious friend to hold her up, Raphael took his place in the front and started the engine. Releasing her, Molly leaned forward to get a grip on Raphael's shell again.

"You'll have to go slow but I don't live too far from here. There is an alleyway near my apartment. We can take the fire escape to my window. Start by going back the way we came." Molly said. With a nod, Raphael turned the motorcycle around and rode toward the direction they came from. As she navigated the way, she prayed Lexa would not wake up. This would be a terrible awkward situation to explain.

Once they arrived at the fire escape, they made their way up to the top floor of the building and in through the window. From there, Molly pointed out the couch to lay Lexa on. After draping a blanket on the unconscious girl, Molly and Raphael stood in silence.

"Perhaps some tea would be nice." Without another word, she entered the kitchen. Raphael looked around the living room. There were three shelves of books lined up against the back wall and a shelf with dvds on each side of the tv that was on the wall opposite the book shelves. A rug laid below the coffee table that sat in front of the couch. A recliner sat at the right of the couch with side table beside it. The wall to the right side of the room had the window that led to the fire escape. The door to the bedroom was adjacent to it. It was warm and the walls were decorated with pictures of family members, vacation spots and couple of April.

"Hey, Molly." Raphael called out, peering at the blonde.

"What is it?" Molly called from the other room.

"About this lady..." He paused thinking over his words. Just then, Lexa began to stir. She sat up and looked around, disoriented.

"Molly!?"

Molly entered the room and knelt by her side. The younger girl realized she was safe and began to cry as Molly rose up to sit at the edge of the couch and held her. Her gaze went to the window behind Lexa and she nodded to the turtle who had managed to escape undetected. He slipped away into the darkness. Molly had a lot more work to do before the night was over.

* * *

Molly awoke to the sound of whispers. Shaking her head, she realized it was coming from the window that led to the fire escape. She quietly slipped out of bed and slid her closet open enough to grab a broom. She softly made her way to her open bedroom door. With a deep breath, she flicked the lights on, drew back the curtain and roared at whoever stood outside her window, broom raised above her head at the ready. In an instant, her demeanor dropped when she saw four startled mutant turtles standing outside her window.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Molly demanded.

"We were on patrol and we figure we would check up on you." Donatello offered. "Raph told us what happened. Is she still here?"

"She went to her mother's." She grumbled stepping back to allow them in.

"It was mostly Donnie's idea." Michelangelo chimed in.

"I know it's awfully late and you had a rough night but I was able to talk the others into doing an impromptu group session." Donatello explained.

"You're looking babe-alicious by the way, Molly-O." Michelangelo added. Molly looked down at her outfit. Shorts and a tank top. Naturally, braless. She shoved the broom into his plastron and stepped into her bedroom for a bathrobe. Raphael slapped Michelangelo upside the head and Leonardo shook his head with a sigh. Now dressed more appropriately, Molly reentered the living room Pulling her dark hair into a ponytail.

"Does Splinter know you're here?" She inquired, hands crossed over her chest.

"He knows we went out on patrol." Leonardo answered. "He doesn't know we decided to come here."

"I am allowing this to happen only once due to the fact that our sessions were cancelled today." She was starting to wonder if she was losing her mind a touch. Any normal client pulling this, she would have called the cops. "Sit." She indicated the couch. "I'll be a moment. Are you thirsty?" All four responded in the negative as she entered the kitchen. Grabbing a glass and a pitcher of water, she sat in the recliner and poured herself a drink. "I'm a bit shocked you want to do this. Our group sessions have not been progressing."

"We're ready to talk about the incident." Donatello insisted taking a seat on one end of the couch. Michelangelo sat on the other side.

"All of you?" She inquired. They unanimously nodded their heads solemnly. "Well, alright. What happened?" The brothers looked at each other.

"It began like any other night." Leonardo began sitting in the middle of the couch. "We were on patrol..."

* * *

 _Cold. Midnight. The New York streets were characteristically full of the sounds of traffic and chatter. The weekend party scene was still going strong. Vigilant gaze peering over the edge of the rooftop, the moss pigmented mutant watched for any disturbances. A casual breeze brushed against the tail of his cobalt mask. A brief sigh passed through his mouth before he turned to face his brothers._

 _He first looked to Michelangelo who restlessly spun his nunchucks, eager to do something. Anything. It had been a rather quiet night for them. Donatello anxiously clutched his bo staff awaiting orders. All muscle and attitude, Raphael wore his impatience like a glove. Impatient for not having blown off the pent up energy. Impatient for having to take orders from anyone. Impatient over anything at this point._

 _Leonardo knew what he had to do. Without a word, he took off in a sprint and leapt from their current rooftop to the next. His brothers fell in line. It was nights like these he was thankful for. There was less lip from Raph. Less techno-babble from Donnie. Less joking from Mikey. They just ran. Dodging and flipping from roof to roof with no clear direction._

 _All of that would come to an end when the cry of a distressed victim cut through the silence. Each turtle came to a halt and peered over the edge of the roof. A gang surrounded some unfortunate fellow who was probably heading home. From the tattoo that wrapped around the tricep of one of the members, it was clear that they were part of the Purple Dragons. The brothers looked at each other and a quick nod from Leonardo gave them the go. They dove down, kicking off the walls to slow the momentum of their fall for a safe landing behind the gang. After a moment of shock and sputtering, the humans attacked while the victim ran, apparently not noting or caring who or what saved him._

 _Leonardo drew his swords and flipped them so the blunt edge would be the one to make each strike. His brothers followed suit and each drew their own weapons. A short skirmish made it clear that the turtles had the clear upper hand. Even when the gang fought dirty, they had neither the speed, strength or skill to overpower the quartet of mutants. Raphael even stuffed his sais back into his belt and went all out with his fists. The leader half listened to Michelangelo badgering as he knocked a gang member over the head with his nunchucks. Donatello was more for dodging and countering with his bo. When all members were groaning on the ground, the turtles disappeared into the shadows. Back to the rooftops, they were rejuvenated but something felt off._

 _"Did that feel easy to you?" Leonardo inquired of his brothers._

 _"No that you mention it..."Donatello looked over the edge at the gang members who were suddenly not there. "They're gone."_

 _"Probably ran scared." Raphael waved off the concerns of his brothers. "Of course it was easy to take them out. We've been dealing with bigger fish."_

 _"No. Something doesn't feel right." Leonardo asserted. "Even the man they attacked barely reacted to us."_

 _"Guys…" Michelangelo finally spoke up. "I don't feel right..." Before anyone could react, he dropped. Panic struck the leader as he knelt by his brother's side._

 _"Mikey! MIKEY!" He shook his brother. Donatello began to search himself until he found and ripped off a transdermal patch but it had already entered his system._

 _"Leo..." Down Donatello dropped. Leonardo looked at his brother Raphael who appeared to be trying to fight off the same affliction that had affected his brother. Only...was he seeing double?_

 _"No..." He growled trying to steady himself. "Raph...We got to..."_

 _"H-hang in their, Leo..." Raphael slurred. Leonardo could not tell who dropped first. He sank into black and felt the cold cement of the rooftop on his face._

 _When he came to, he was still surrounded by darkness, only he was indoors. There was no more crisp, night air around him. He shook his head and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark as much as possible. He could sense someone else was with him._

 _"Raph?" He groaned out, still feeling woozy._

 _"You're awake?" A small voice breathed out._

 _"Where are we?" Leonardo inquired. "Who are you?"_

 _"My name's Allie. One minute this guys just grabbed me and next, I passed out. I woke up here." The other on explained. "And you are?"_

 _"Leo." He said as he felt around. "Any idea how big this space is?"_

 _"Not a clue." Was the reply. "I can't move. They tied me to a chair." Leonardo felt his way to the chair Allie was tied to._

 _"What direction did they enter?" He asked trying to feel out the rope that tied her._

 _"Behind me. They opened a door and tossed you in."_

 _"I'm going to get you out of here." Leonardo murmured as he untied the knots. "Just stay close to me." A crash came from the other room._

 _"What was that?" Allie gasped, standing up from the chair._

 _"I'm not sure but if luck is on our side, it might be my brothers." Leonardo stood. A man came crashing through a door from the area Allie had described as the entryway. "Stay close." Leonardo instructed as he made his way to the door. Raphael stood at the other side of it dusting off his hands._

 _"Got ya a little gift." He grinned, handing over his brother's katanas._

 _"You shouldn't have." He stepped through the door and looked back. Slowly, Allie made her way to the broken wood and stared at the brothers._

 _"What...are you?" She whispered._

 _"We're turtles!" Michelangelo piped in, appearing behind them. "Bros! We gotta get out of here fast!"_

 _"Where's Donnie?" Leonardo questioned._

 _"He's already working on our exit strategy on the roof." Raphael replied, pointing toward a hallway._

 _"Let's go." Leonardo directed. They began to make their way down the hall when Leonardo stopped and looked back. The girl was still standing behind the broken door. "Allie." He sprinted back to her and offered her his hand. She took a look at the three fingers and yelped. "Allie, we're not going to hurt you."_

 _"Get away from me, you freak!" She cried. Leonardo blinked and looked at his hand._

 _"We don't have time for this!" Raphael growled. He strode over to them, grabbed her and threw her over her shoulder. She cried out in alarm as they ran down the hall._

 _"Listen, lady! We ain't gonna hurt ya" Raphael shouted over her screaming. "We're tryin' to get ya to a safe place!"_

 _They pushed through the door to the stairwell and rushed up the steps. Sounds of footsteps were following behind. As they hit the fourth row of steps, they heard the door below open again. Rounding the fifth set of steps, a rain of bullets scattered by their feet._

 _"Let's hustle!" Leonardo called out as they neared the door to the exit. Allie screamed even louder as a bullet hissed past her thigh. Once on the roof, the blades of a helicopter began to start its rotation. From the entrance of the vehicle, Michelangelo waved them over. They boarded the copter and set Allie down. As it began to rise from the cement, their pursuers bursted through the doors to the stairwell and began shooting._

 _"Hold on, guys!" Donatello called, steering the helicopter away from the barrage of bullets. Everyone not buckled in was thrown to the side._

 _"Ugh! I'm going to be sick!" Michelangelo groaned, sliding into one of the seats. Allie slid near the opening with a cry._

 _"Allie!" Leonardo reached for her and grabbed her by the hand. "I got you!" Her eyes wide with fear, she desperately clung to the turtle. Donatello steered the helicopter the other way, causing everyone to whip along with it. Leonardo lost his hold on Allie who flew out the helicopter. Grabbing on to the landing skid, she looked up to the eldest turtle._

 _"Help me!" She begged._

 _"Hang on! I won't let you fall! I promise!" Leonardo yelled as he leaned out of the entrance. They reached for each other. "Just a little further!"_

 _"Watch out, Leo!" Raphael shouted, grabbing his brother and pulling him back as more bullets pelted the machine. As a bullet struck the metal right by her hand, Allie release her hold in shock. She reached out as she fell down, down until she crashed into the rocky depths of the water below._

 _"We have to go back for her!" Leo shouted. Donatello growled as he attempted to straighten out the copter._

 _"It's with the deepest of regrets that I must inform you that there is no way she could have survived falling that far!" Donatello cried. "And by the looks of it, we might not survive if we don't get out of here!" He directed the helicopter away from the building and bullets for a man began to take aim with a rocket launcher. "How does everyone keep getting one of those!?" He steered the vehicle away as the shot was taken. Barely dodging out of its course, the helicopter veered to the right, sending all but Donatello flying to one side. Once he leveled out the copter and they were out of bullet range, he leaned back and sighed. "Is everyone alright?"_

 _"She's gone…" Leonardo hung his head. "I let her go..." The brothers rode in silence for the rest of the ride home._

* * *

The room was quite after Leonardo finished the story. He buried his face in his hands, reliving the moment. Donatello lowered his head in guilt. Raphael stood behind the couch with his arms folded over his plastron. He looked away. Michelangelo stared at the floor.

"How long ago did this happen?" Molly finally asked.

"About six months ago." Donatello replied.

"I could have saved her if..." Leonardo shook his head.

"Go on and say it!" Raphael growled. "If I hadn't stopped you!"

"No one is blaming you, Raph." Donatello interjected.

"No one except old fearless, here." The largest turtle sneered.

"One more second and I would have had her." Leonardo finally barked, standing and facing his brother.

"So I was supposed to let ya get shot up? Is that how we're doin' it now?" Raphael rounded the couch and stood face-to-face with his brother. "You didn't even know her! Why the hell do you care!?"

"I told her I wouldn't let her fall. I gave her my word!"

"Then stop making promises you can't keep!" Raphael thundered. Standing, Molly tossed the water in the pitcher at the arguing brothers. All brothers stared wide-eyed at her.

"Woah, Molly-O!" Michelangelo grinned.

"Cool off, boys." She muttered, unamused. "Here's what I'm trying to understand. Why did the events of tonight trigger the big reveal of 'the incident?'"

"Here's the thing." Raphael wiped his face with the back of his hand. "That Lexa girl. She looks just like Allie."

"You've got to be kidding me." Molly put the pitcher on the side table and dropped back into her chair.

"Are they sisters?" Leonardo inquired. "If they are...Well...Maybe she woouldn't want to speak with me, but I owe her an apology for losing her sister. If I was faster, I could have saved her."

"They aren't sisters." Molly confirmed. "Allie is Lexa."

"You mean...Allie is alive?" Leonardo stepped forward and grabbed Molly by the shoulders. "She didn't die?"

"Unless it was someone impersonating her, no, she didn't die." Molly sighed shrugging off Leonardo's hand.

"Why did she introduce herself as Allie?" Donatello looked at Molly, quirking a brow ridge.

"Her name is Alexandra. She introduces herself as Allie. _I_ called her Lexa. It's a pet name." Molly confessed.

"A...pet name?"

"Something you give to a lover." Molly muttered. "Ex lover." She didn't allow the boys time to react. "That certainly explains how that scar came about. Of course, when she told the story, it was four men and she didn't even recall the names. How interesting how all of this comes together." Molly pressed her thumb and index finger against her eyes. "I think it's time for you guys to go home."

"You're not mad, are you?" Michelangelo asked.

"Of course, I'm mad." She stood up from her seat. "It's four'o'clock in the morning, I have work in three hours and have manage about three and a half hours of sleep. I would like to get in two more hours if you don't mind."

"What about Lexa?" Leonardo asked.

"She's alive. You didn't fail her." Molly clarified.

"But why was she kidnapped."

"That is not my place to say." Molly pointed to the window. "We will continue our sessions Thursday. We have cover so much ground that we will have a lot of running room with dealing with these issues. Until then, I bid you all a good night. I trust you can see yourselves out." Molly strode to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and listened to them shuffle out. "Alright Lexa..." She whispered as she crawled into bed. "What the hell do you have to do with these turtles?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I want to bring Leatherhead back. I actually enjoy him and I feel he could use some help with dealing with his own inner demons. Molly is kind if growing differently from what I first set out for her to do but I don't really mind it. What are your thoughts? It's been a while since I seriously wrote out an action sequence. So please don't mind this one. I rushed through it! So little time. So much I want to write. Thanks for reading!**

 **Update 12/21/15: Decided to add 1st person narrated intros to give it the same feel as the 2003 cartoon.**


	5. Questions

**Questions**

 **Molly POV  
**

Some days you just want to stop everything and just sleep. I haven't found the time for that. After all of the things I've seen and done, I should know better than to expect everything to be normal. I think the turtles go through that same problem. I just hope April made a good choice in picking me to guide them into a better way. I'm starting to feel like I'm going a little insane.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

The next few days were agonizing. After an hour and a half of restless sleep, Molly had gone into work only to be bombarded with pleading from the higher-ups to take on three new patients. They stressed the importance with about as much clarity as a white out blizzard. She didn't like the idea of taking on new patients who had classified backgrounds. It was only supposed to be for analysis to see if there was anything off about them. She accepted under the condition that she receive a handsome raise and a month's worth of vacation days. Over the course of the next few days, three became ten. There was certainly something different about these patients but the lack of information and their secrecy made it a huge challenge. She stuck with documenting what she saw and theorizing possible diagnoses through subtle behaviors and a touch of intuition. Each person would be asked a series of standard questions and their responses would be carefully examined.

During all of this, she was working with Lexa to find loopholes in her insurance to cover the costs of the care she would need. Surgery and chemo were on the table. Lexa kept bringing up another option. She was offered to undergo a series of tests that could possibly kill off the cancer cells and make her stronger. Something Molly was against and she was adamant about making it clear to her sickly friend.

The climax of the hellish week happened Wednesday during a routine interview with one of the patients. An ex-marine named Ron who had been showing signs of increasing aggression. It was the same standard questions and he answered them monotonously, rolling his eyes.

"Something is bothering you." Molly broke from the scripted questioning, surprising him.

"This whole answering the same damn question day in and day out. What is it for?" He demanded.

"This is to see if there are any changes to your condition." Was the reply. "That is all I can tell you as we both know that any further information is classified."

"Yeah, classified." He growled. "They didn't tell us we would be going through this shit before talking us into it. "

"Perhaps we should take a break." Molly fought against her curiosity, knowing that they were being recorded. She was probably on thin ice for diverting from the standard questioning.

"Why? Am I not falling in line for you?!" Ron spat, flipping the table. Molly stood up quickly and backed away.

"I think maybe a little breather would be a nice change of pace." She spoke slowly, making sure her hands were in view so as not to cause any suspicion. He began to grab at his head and scream. Molly immediately turned and slammed her fist into a red button labeled, "Emergency." That was when he grabbed her from behind and slammed her into the ground. Her left wrist smashed against the leg of the over turned table and she could not stifle the yelp that responded to the radiating pain. He was on her with his hands on her throat. As the world became fuzzy, she could vaguely hear people crashing in through the door and Ron's maniacal ranting.

* * *

When she came to, Molly found herself on a stretcher in the infirmary. She quickly sat up and felt a wave of dizziness. With slow, methodical breathing, she stilled the swirling around her. Muffled yelling could be heard in the other room and the sound of banging. Her focus went to her aching wrist, now black and blue and very swollen. After painfully bending each finger, she was relieve to find them all functional. The door to the room opened and in walked her superior. A 50 year old man in a black suit with a grim expression.

"Molly, you're awake." He said approaching her and handing her a brace for her wrist. "They said nothing is broken. Just a sprain. This is for you"

"So nice to see you, Greg." Molly winced, mistakenly putting her weight on her left hand. She grabbed the brace and decide to put it on when the swelling went down. "Now, I would like an explanation on why he went from zero to homicidal."

"You diverted from the questioning." Greg sighed.

"Yes, but normally the reaction is not that severe."

"Are you sure you want to know the truth?" He asked cautiously. "You might not like what you hear and the more you know, the more valuable you are to us and the harder it is to leave."

"Just spill it." She said through gritted teeth.

"We have been testing a serum to make super soldiers. We partnered with E.P.F."

"Are you insane!?" Molly hissed. "That Bishop is a certifiable lunatic!"

"But he gets the job done. He saved the president for Christ sakes!"

"How convenient for him. So you mean to tell me that I have been analyzing super soldiers for side affects."

"Molly, I wanted to tell you but I didn't want you to turn this job down. We need your expertise."

"So you put me at risk?" She slid off the stretcher. "If I had know these were chemically caused abnormalities instead of organic, I would have approached more cautiously! I'm going home. Fortunately, I have the next four days off to rest so that I may be in better condition to return to this place that seems bent on killing me!"

"Just check out with the doctor before going and make sure you fill out your part of the event report." Greg said, deflated. "I'll see you Monday morning."

* * *

By Thursday, the swelling went down and she was able to wear the brace. Though she was given a script for Percocet, she decided to stick with good old heat, cold and motrin. A scarf was wrapped around her neck to meticulously hide the bruising from her date with asphyxiation. She stepped into the lair, not surprised that the turtles were waiting for her arrival.

"What happened to your arm?" Donatello inquired. The bruising was still a fresh purple.

"Perks of working with the dysfunctional." She immediately changed the subject. "I figured we start with a mini group session, shall we?" They made their way to the media center where they held their group sessions. The turtles took their seats on the couch as Molly pulled a card from her purse. She handed it to the closest turtle, Donatello.

"What is this?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that I tend to keep my phone off if I bring it at all. I don't like my sessions interrupted." Molly began.

"Guess I'm special." Raphael crossed his arms over his plastron.

"Or unlucky." She pulled out the phone that rang during their session. "I give the number to this phone to a very limited amount of friends and patients. This is an emergency way of contacting me when in crisis. Not that I expect anything of the sort to happen with you four but the reality is this...Should it ever happen, you can't exactly dial 911. Don't call this number unless it is an emergency. I trust you know what that means. I don't want any prank calls." Her eyes as well as the other brothers' eyes shot to Michelangelo.

"What?" He looked around innocently.

"If you feel you need to meet but you're not in crisis, then text instead of calling"

"Fortunately, texting capabilities have just been installed in the shellcells." Donatello stated with with a smile.

"Any questions?"

"Is she alright?" Leonardo inquired.

"I figured knowing she is alive and well would be enough for you." Molly quirked a brow. "Perhaps you have to see her with your own eyes." She glanced at her watch and sighed. "I'll give you guys a choice. We either break up into our usual solo sessions or we go out on a little mission." The brothers looked among each other and began to smile one by one.

* * *

After a brief trip, to her apartment so that she could change into something more suitable for running on rooftops, they started off on Molly's roof. Donatello had mapped out the direction after she gave him the address. She started to stretched her legs getting ready for a workout she had not intended on being a part of this morning. Molly had informed Lexa that she would be dropping by with a surprise to ensure she would be home.

"Is she going to freak out?" Michelangelo inquired.

"It doesn't matter." Molly shook her head. "Her and Leonardo need to face each other to heal over whatever happened that night."

"I think a better question is: have you ever done this before?" Raphael asked. "Runnin' on roofs, I mean."

"Not really..." She furrowed her brow nervously. "How hard can it be...?"

The brothers eyed each other before they began to take off in the direction of Lexa's apartment. Molly followed now limber from all her previous stretching. The first leap was fairly easy, given the short distance. She landed in a crouched position and noticed that the turtles were already leaping to the next roof. _Damn it._ She picked up speed and leapt after the brothers. The next roof was a but more of a distance away but still doable. She had to think track and field. This time, she didn't pause and kept running. The others were better at this. Years of doing it certainly helped. She skidded to a halt before leaping to the next roof. This was a greater distance. Donatello and Michelangelo noticed her hesitation and waited.

"You going to jump or what, Molly-O?" Michelangelo called out.

"You got this, You got this..." She whispered to herself as she backed up. "Just go for it." She ran at full speed toward the edge and she felt all the confidence in the world until the last possible second. She held back slightly as she jumped, cutting her momentum. The balls of her feet landed on the edge of the opposite roof but her balance was lost. She gasped as she began to fall backwards. A three fingered hand grabbed her by the left wrist and pulled her forward to which she grunted in pain. She felt her head knock into the plastron of the one who pulled her to safety. Leonardo. She wondered how he got to her before the others reacted.

"Whew...You're a fast one." She breathed, as he released her wrist. She held it in her hand, flexing and unflexing her bruised fingers. "Thank you."

"Are you alright?" Donatello queried.

"I chickened out at the last minute." Molly confessed.

"I think it will be safer if she's with someone." Leonardo affirmed. "Raph."

"Of course, it's me." He grumbled lifting her up.

"I don't really think this is necessary." She argued indignantly.

"You're slowin' us down." Raphael jabbed before running onward. Molly figured his strength was what drew him the short straw in this situation. Jumping roofs with a full grown human was difficult enough albeit she was on the shorter end.

 _How did it end up like this?_ She lamented to herself. Among normal human beings, she was physically superior in agility. Her composure remained forever intact unless she chose to let it go. These turtles were like annoying little brothers and she was subconsciously warming up to it. _I need to maintain professionalism from now on._

A few more rooftops and they finally arrived. Raphael gingerly put Molly down and they made their way to the fire escape. Midway down, she stopped at an open window. This was unexpected. Lexa couldn't have been expecting her to enter from the fire escape. She never made mention of it. A sudden jolt of panic ran up her sign and she slipped through the window.

"Lexa?" She called out, looking around. The apartment looked disheveled. Not a good sign. "LEXA!" Migrating from room to room, she opened any door there was to open, trying to locate her. Molly brought a hand to her head and tried to steady her breathing. No worthy amount of thinking could be done if she was too anxious. There had to be a clue.

"Molly." Leonardo approached her from another room.

"She's gone and it looks like she was taken." She explained to the lead turtle. She headed for the kitchen and studied the fridge. It was a habit of Lexa's to leave notes on the refrigerator for reminders. A notebook on the counter caught her attention. "That...idiot!" She growled. She ripped the page from the notebook and made a beeline for the window.

"Woah, hold on!" Leonard grabbed her by the arm. "What's going on?"

"Sorry to cut this short but you can't go with me where I'm going."

"And where is that?" Donatello inquired.

"Boys, there is a lot more going on than we know." She turned to the brothers. "What I do know is that this is connected to something close to home. I can't involve you."

"We're already involved." Leonardo asserted.

"And you could probably use our help." Donatello added.

"Yeah, we're here for you, Molly-O" Michelangelo chimed in. Raphael just grunted.

"It's more complicated than that." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I work for a government agency and I have been psychoanalyzing and providing psychotherapy for their people. I've even been involved in covert missions to analyze possible enemy operatives. I recently found out that the agency has been working on a serum for super soldiers." She showed them the paper she had ripped out of the notebook. "That address leads to the lab where we do all of our experimentation. I think Lexa is going there."

"Why would she want to be a super soldier?" Donatello inquired.

"The serum probably has some thing to slow or cure her cancer. She told me that she was approached to test out a possible cure. I should have suspected the connection." Molly muttered.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would they want her?" Leonardo took the paper and looked over the address.

"She used to work at the agency until she disappeared suddenly about six months ago." She pursed her lips. "She only just returned a couple of months ago. She was relieved of her services due to her injuries and change of mental well being. She was just different. I think they mean to get her back. Lexa was a big resource and very skilled at infiltration. "If they give her the serum...it could cause more psychological damage..."

"We're going with you." Leonardo reaffirmed.

"I can't let the agency know that we know each other. They will try to hunt you down. They are working in conjunction with E.P.F." She explained. The turtles looked at each other.

"We've run into them a few times." Donatello grimaced.

"I know. I've interviewed a few agents who have encountered you. I put two and two together when I first started seeing you."

"So if you're with the government..." Leonardo frowned. "Are you the enemy?"

"I have no plans of giving you over to them. I'm not anti-alien. I'm not anti-mutant." Molly sighed. "I just work with and under people who are. You guys were a relief. That doesn't matter now. I need to find her and get her out of there before they turn her into something...horrible." She unconsciously rubbed her wrist and Donatello took notice.

"That injury wouldn't happen to be related to this, would it?" He questioned.

"Sudden aggression was a side affect." Was the reply. "I only began the psychoanalyzing the soldiers they assigned to me. I wanted to stay on to try to find a way to stop this. So you see, I can't be caught helping mutated turtles."

"I think we can make it work." The leader in blue stated. "I have a plan."

* * *

 **Author's note: A short one today. Molly is struggling with her professionalism with our favorite turtles I can't exactly blame her. I know this is going off tangent from the psychoanalysis of the turtles but worry not. She'll get back into it with them. With some new coping mechanisms, too. Please share the love and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I'm here to improve.**

 **Update 12/21/15: Decided to add 1st person narrated intros to each chapter to give it the same feel as the 2003 cartoon.**


	6. Infiltrate

**Infiltrate**

 **Leonardo POV**

Being a leader isn't without its challenges. To be honest, I can't remember a time when it was ever easy. Someone who barely knows us is throwing our flaws and issues right in our faces. I'm just trying to keep us together and out of harms way. So why am I finding this outsider is suddenly the key to helping me find a way to get through my doubt again? How does the same thing that I sought out my father's master to help me solve suddenly fall on the shoulders of a human therapist? As a teenage mutant ninja turtle, I've seen a lot of strange things. I never thought that something so normal could be so strange to me.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

Molly stepped into the agency building dressed as if she were going to work. Knowing she had to keep suspicion to a minimum, her first stop was at her supervisor's office. She knocked on the door before entering. Greg looked surprised to see her back so shortly after yesterday's debacle. He gestured for her to take a seat and Molly obliged.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon. You were pretty steamed." He recalled the rage that flashed in her eyes. She was now back to the composed co-worker he was used to.

"Pain and being misled can really affect one's mood." She smiled wryly. "I did some thinking and I've decided to stay on this caseload. The only thing is that I need a better understanding of what I'm dealing with. It would make sense for me to interview the patients before they are turned into these super soldiers so I have a baseline to work off of."

"I don't see that being a problem." Greg contemplated her request. "Would you be interested in starting that now? We're a bit short staffed today and we have a new group of candidates. Some of them were ex-agents here." Luck was truly on Molly's side.

"Remember that covert agent that went missing half a year back?"

"Her name was Allie, I believe." She was grateful she and Lexa had kept their relationship hidden.

"Yeah, the one you used to butt heads with! She's getting ready to start the process. Do you think you can keep your disdain for her held back and be professional about it?"

"I think I can handle that." Molly was trying to wrap her mind around how easy this was. Maybe she wouldn't need help after all. "Where should I report to?"

"The laboratory is running physical diagnostics. They can get a room ready for you to interview her. Just see Kim at the front desk. I'll call down so they know to expect you. You don't have to stick to that ridiculous script during the initial assessment."

"Thanks. I'll just punch in first." She said standing. After she left the room, she looked around to see if the hallway was empty before continuing down the hall.

"Your superior didn't know about your relationship with Lexa?" Donatello's voice sounded from the earpiece in her right ear. She put a finger to it to respond softly.

"We actually hated each other for quite some time. We ran into each other at bar and by some blackout drunk accident, we became more." She murmured. "Fraternizing is frowned upon so we kept up the charade of hating each other. I ended it before it got too intense."

"Molly-O breaking hearts left and right!" Michelangelo's voice blared in.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Three turtles chorused. Molly smirked as she punched in. Their puerile antics took the edge off of her anxiety about finding a way to free Lexa.

"Donatello...The interviews are recorded. I'm going to need you to cut that off so I can speak freely with her. Otherwise, they'll know I'm not here to exactly help them in this fool's errand."

"Gotcha! Let me know which room you're in and I'll take care of the rest."

"If you're as good as April with this, you have my complete faith." Making her way further down the hall, she barely listened as the turtles talked among themselves. Minor bickering and joking took place but she was concentrating on easing the butterflies in her stomach. Coming upon a locked door, she punched in a code and inserted her I.D. badge into the slot. A buzz sounded and she opened the door. Another long hallway led to a door of the same fashion. "I'm about the enter the facility that houses the labs so pay attention." She pushed the door open and come upon the front desk. An older woman with mousey, brown hair and fire engine red lipstick looked up.

"Molly!" She beamed at the younger woman. "It's been such a long time! How have you been?"

"Not too bad." Was the reply. "Greg filled you in?"

"Of course!" Kim exclaimed. "He's so excited you finally decided to help out on this project! You'll never guess who volunteered!"

"Do tell." She feigned interest.

"Allie Schroder! She's lost some weight and I don't mean in a good way."

"Mm." The desire to slam her face into the desk was tempting Molly. "Well, I should be getting to work. I would hate to fall behind so early."

"Of course!" She pulled out a folder and handed it to Molly. "You'll be going to room 13. See you later!" Molly passed the desk with a nod and made her way down more extended hallways.

"Alright, boys." She murmured. "I don't know if I'll see Allie right away or not so hang in there..."

She stopped at room 13 and entered. A young man sat at a table in the white room. Molly sat down across from him, placed her briefcase on the table and opened the folder. There were 15 different packets inside. Each with a picture paper clipped to the corner to match the names and a brief summary of the individual's background. Lexa's packet was among them. Looking at the man who waited patiently, Molly pulled a pen and note pad from her briefcase and began her interview with him. Three hours and five candidates later, Lexa came in. Molly cleared her throat.

"I have you covered." Donatello's voice came through her earpiece again. "All recording devices are off. No one should notice for at least fifteen minutes."

"Lexa." She stood up. The blonde looked at her surprised and alarmed. She was wearing a white t-shirt and sweat pants. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Molly deducted that she just came from the physical. She noted the gauze taped to her inner arm, indicating a blood draw.

"Don't call me that!" She whispered.

"Nothing is recording." The brunette approached the blonde and shook her head. Speaking softly, she inquired, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to be strong again." Lexa replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to convince you not to take part in something that can ruin your life." Molly took her hand. "The serum has some unfavorable side effects. I already met with a man who became extremely violent."

"What are you talking about?"

"For the past few days, I have been asking test subjects scripted questions. I diverted from the questions and the man became aggressive." Molly raised her braced wrist to drive in her point. "I know you want a cure but there has to be another way."

"I already made my choice and you know the agency won't let me go now that I've agreed. I know too much. Besides. It will be like old times." She brushed her against Molly's cheek. "We can sneak away and reacquaint ourselves with each other. I still remember how to-" Molly clamped her hands over Lexa's mouth. A bright shade of red flamed on her cheeks. She could hear mixed reactions from the turtles.

"I have friends who are listening in to this." She hissed. "We can continue this conversation another time. And you are NOT going to go through with this. It's wrong. All of this is wrong. I don't want to see them turn you into weapon to destroy creatures they know nothing about!" She slowly removed her hands from the blonde's mouth. "Please. We have so much to talk about and I can't help you if you belong to the agency."

"Alright, I'll bite. Who are your friends and how do they intend to get me out of here?"

"They are going to cause a distraction and extract you." Was the reply. "The only thing you need to know is...They aren't human."

"What?"

"I am working with four mutant turtles who are trained in the form of Ninjutsu…"

"And you're questioning my choices?"

"I don't know how much you recall from six months ago, but they seem to know you."

"What do you mean?"

"Does the name, Leonardo ring a bell?"

"Molly I- You...Knew them all this time?"

"No. I _just_ found out about this a few days ago. That's not important now. I don't know how much time we have before it's discovered that our interview isn't recording, but we need to make it look like we are oblivious to it."

Just then, a knock came from the door behind Lexa and both women immediately slid into the chairs opposite each other. A tech looked in and Molly turned to him as if she had just been interrupted.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Miss O'Shea, but the recording equipment malfunctioned. You're going to have to start the interview again. Molly sighed and removed her glasses.

"This is very inconvenient. What happened?"

"We aren't sure, yet." He responded. "But we will get to the bottom of this."

"I guess there isn't much that can be done about it." Just then, the sound of metal crashing to the floor came from the hall. The tech turned.

"What the-?" He disappeared briefly before flying through the door. He landed on top of the table with a groan. In walked Raphael, dusting of his hands off with a grin.

"Let's get outta here!" He shouted grabbing Lexa by the hand. His eyes met Molly's briefly before they left the room. She counted five seconds in her head before hitting the "Emergency" button. _Good luck, fellas._

* * *

The brothers sat in the battle shell, awaiting any news. Donatello had a laptop on his lap as he tried to hack into the agency's security.

"It's harder to get in than I thought it would be." He muttered, looking for an alternate route from his previous attempt.

"Someone's got the resident genius scratchin' his head." Raphael snickered.

"You are not helping." The younger turtle growled.

"So what's the plan?" Michelangelo asked, idly spinning his nunchucks.

"We'll sneak in. Raph will cause a distraction and get Allie-" Leonardo shook his head. "Lexa out of the room. Should he encounter any trouble, Mikey and I will work as back up. Donnie, you'll stay in the battle shell, just in case we need an alternate route."

"IF I can figure out how to get into this system. They have firewalls made of adamantium!" Donatello stressed.

"You'll have to break them down." Leonardo stated.

Molly was already on her way to the front desk by the time Donatello got in. He had to be careful not to leave any sign of his tampering or the agency would be alerted to the infiltration of their system. With a sigh, he pulled up the schematics of the building and searched for possible exits and entrances.

"If you guys go through the manhole right here; it will lead to this one over here. Then if you can enter from here, you'll go undetected. You can enter through an air duct, here. If you take a right here, it should lead to the hallway where rooms 11-19 are. You can take the air duct back to make your exit. If anything should go wrong, you can take this door across from room 16 to the stairwell. It will bring you to the roof." Donatello explained to the group.

"Don't tell me there's going to be a helicopter waiting for us."

"There's actually a ladder that leads down. The entrance to the sewers is over on the the other side of the building."

"It sounds easy enough." Michelangelo yawned.

"The sun will be setting soon so get ready to go stealth." Leonardo advised.

"Molly." Donatello spoke into his head set. "Clear your throat the moment she comes in and I'll cut the recording devices."

The other three left the battle shell as soon as the sun disappeared and entered the sewers. Once they made it to the other end, they held their position, ready for their next move. Each put on a headset from their shell cells to listen in. They waited through five interviews. Three hours of her asking standard questions about their experiences in the agency, in battle, any thoughts of violence, etc. They weren't sure when or if Lexa was going to partake in an interview until Molly cleared her throat as someone entered the room.

"I have you covered." He said, typing away. "All recording devices are off. No one should notice for at least fifteen minutes."

That was Leonardo's cue. They went up the ladder to exit the sewers and swiftly sprinted to the designated entrance. As they quietly moved through the air duct, they continued to listen in on Molly's conversation with Lexa.

""I already made my choice and you know the agency won't let me go now that I've agreed. I know too much." Lexa paused, before continuing with a seductive quality to her voice. "Besides. It will be like old times. We can sneak away and reacquaint ourselves with each other. I still remember how to-" The rest of it came out muffled.

"What the...?" Raphael held in a laugh, while Donatello gave in to the laughter. Leonardo simply sighed.

"Molly-O's got game!" Michelangelo cheered. The brothers made their way to the end before Raphael kicked the grate open with a little too much power and knocked it off the hinge. As it crashed to the floor, he dropped down and caught the attention of the tech. He darted a little bit down the hall before grabbing the tech and hurling him through the door. The large turtle dusted off his hands as he entered the room.

"Let's get outta here!" He shouted grabbing Lexa by the hand. He made eye contact with Molly and caught a look of relief on her face before exiting. Five seconds later, an alarm went off. Raphael hoisted Lexa up the air duct as Leonardo pulled her up. Armed guards arrived and Raphael bolted for the door Donatello had mentioned before. As he raced up the stairwell, the others crawled through the air duct.

"Raph!" Leonardo growled.

"No problem here." His brother responded. The moment he hit the roof, the others exited the air duct. They could hear Molly speaking with the guards about how terrifying it was to see a mutant turtle come in. Leonardo and Michelangelo led Lexa down to the sewers. As they ran to the other side, they heard shots firing followed by thuds and grunting.

"Bro, are you alright?" Michelangelo inquired as they climbed up the ladder. "Raph?"

"I'm in the sewer. Had to knock around some guards." He said, sounding proud of himself.

Donatello turned the ignition on and listened intently to Molly's conversation with the guards. He hoped for her sake that she would be able to get out of the situation quickly and without issue. As the others entered the vehicle, he began to drive. Leonardo eyed Lexa for a long while before speaking to her.

"You're Allie." He said.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again." She replied. "Where's Molly?"

"She's reporting to her supervisor 'what happened.'" Donatello answered. We're going to meet up at her place." The rest of the drive was in silence.

* * *

Molly burst through her door only to have Lexa throw herself at her in an embrace. Blinking, she returned the hug less passionately. She could see the turtles standing from over Lexa's shoulder and pulled away. She closed the door behind her and gestured for the other woman to sit. Exhaustion was starting to take over as she stumbled across the room to take a seat on her couch.

"We need to find a safe house for you." She finally spoke. "Conveniently, Greg is giving me a week off while they investigate what happened. That should be plenty of time to get you somewhere else."

"I'm guessing New York is out of the question." Her friend sighed.

"We can try Connecticut. Maybe Rhode Island?" Molly offered.

"How about North Hampton Massachusetts?" Leonardo suggested. Both women turned to the leading turtle. "I know a safe place."

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt." Molly sighed. "We leave first thing in the morning. Lexa and I will pack up things here and we can meet here tomorrow. Let's say...Six 'o'clock?" Michelangelo groaned.

"We'll be here." Leonardo spoke for the group. "Are you sure it's safe to stay here tonight?"

"I don't think Greg suspected anything. One night should be fine." Molly assured the brothers. They accepted this and left without another word. Once they were alone, she turned to the blonde. "You're a god damn idiot! Do you know how danger-" Before she could even get her lecture rolling, Lexa planted a kiss on her lips. She went in for another, pushing the brunette down on the couch. Molly shoved her back with gritted teeth.

"How long are you going to try to resist me?" Lexa inquired softly. Clearly disappointed with Molly's inability to give in to her advances.

"The last thing on my mind is intimacy right now!" The older woman hissed. "I have to pack clothes for the both of us and make sure we have all that we need for the next week until I can figure out what to do. They will be looking for you and in the meant time, we need to figure out how to get you treated while keeping you under the radar. I'm sorry if that doesn't turn me on. Right now, I would prefer you getting some rest. You can use my guestroom." Lexa huffed as she stood.

"So that's how it's going to be?" She demanded. "You're still running away from us?"

"Us?" Molly stood to meet her face to face. "We ended things half a year ago!"

"You did..."

"Yeah and then you disappeared. I'm not in the mood for fooling around with someone who keeps secrets."

"Secrets like you and those mutants?"

"..."

"What are you doing with them? Don't you know they can be dangerous?"

"I know they aren't a danger to us and that's all that matters at this time. They aren't monsters."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Molly O'Shea." Lexa sighed. She stepped into the guestroom and slammed the door. Molly stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the door. Her eyes were burning with fatigue and a dull pounding in her head reminded her that she could really us a Tylenol. She shuffled into her room and pulled a suitcase from her closet. She would need to pack for two. Before she began, she sent a quick text to April, giving her a brief summary of what had happened.

'Give me a call in the morning when you wake up.' Was the reply. Molly smiled and commenced her duties for the night. She would catch up on sleep when she knew all was secure.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Allie/Lexa is a bit of a hand full. I decided to try mini narrations at the start of each chapter. Thank you to those who have reviewed so far. It means a lot to get feedback. I'm not sure how I'm posting these chapters up so quickly. The last four days have been work, write, post and repeat. Regretfully, it probably drags down the quality of the story but this is a little exercise for myself. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Answers

**Answers**

 **April POV**

I never would have imagined Molly needing my help. We have always been emotionally supportive of each other but she was the strong one. She blamed it on her strict upbringing. In a way, her mother reminded me of Splinter in forms of how strict she was when it came to discipline. Here, I thought I was helping the turtles when it turns out she's getting something out of it, too. I'm not sure who this other woman is but I fear that her presence could spell trouble. Careful Molly risking it all? I think it's time, I stay close and Casey's grandmother's farmhouse is the perfect place. Let's just hope Casey doesn't stir up Molly's disdain for my boyfriends.

* * *

The sound of dishes clattering woke Molly abruptly. She oriented herself to where she was. It was clear she fell asleep on the suitcase while packing. Fortunately, it was near completion. She folded the last shirt, placed a few more various items in and zipped up the suitcase. Once satisfied with her work, she made her way to the kitchen. A waft of pleasant smells reached her nostrils. Pancakes, maple sausages and eggs. Though she had all of the ingredients, she barely took the time to cook. Lexa, on the other hand, kept with their old tradition of making breakfast.

"Finally decided to wake up?" She grinned, placing a plate and a cup of coffee on the table. Molly smiled in gratitude as she drizzled syrup on her pancakes. A warm feeling spread through her body, from her heart. A reminder of the good times they had.

"What time is it?" Molly asked, taking a bite of the delicious hotcake.

"5:45." Lexa replied, nonchalantly. 3...2...1 it sank in and Molly flew into a panic, shoveling food in her mouth and nearly burning herself trying to wash it down with piping hot coffee. The brunette flew into a storm of spouting how she HAD to at least fit a shower in but calling April was on the list as well as finding extra toiletries for Lexa and tore off into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Lexa tried not to derive too much pleasure from watching her go from zero to frantic. Perhaps it was a little bit of revenge for last night. She casually sipped her coffee.

Following a five-minute shower, Molly threw on jeans and a shirt before calling April. As the phone rang, she stooped down to rifle through bathroom cabinets for extra toothbrushes. Part of her wanted to stick one in the toilet to reward Lexa for not waking her earlier. She suspected it was done purposely as her blonde friend was not one to take kindly to be rejected. Ever. _Add that to the list of why it didn't work out..._

"Molly?" April's voice came one the other end of the phone.

"April." She sat back on her heels. "The boys are going to be taking us to a 'safe place' in Massachusetts."

"The farmhouse." April replied. "Casey's grandmother had a farmhouse there. Don't worry, they filled me in last night. We're coming along, too." A wave of relief washed over her.

"Can you bring extra clothes for Lexa.?" She asked sheepishly. "I'm not sure how much of mine she'll fit in or like, for that matter."

"Sure. Maybe we can talk later about your...romance?" The red head inquired. "You've never mentioned her before."

"What was there to mention?" Molly grumbled. "'Hi, April! I'm messing around with a co-worker because my job is so stressful that I find release in a prohibited affair with a deadly woman!'"

"It's not the first time you haven't shared about your relationships. Like the lawyer from Jersey."

"He was a control freak."

"Or the cellist from the Manhattan?"

"She was a narcissist."

"What's wrong with this one?"

"She's secretive."

"Gee, that doesn't remind me of anyone."

"I'm hanging up now, April. I'll see you soon." Her friend chuckled in response before she hung up. With a sigh, she grabbed a toothbrush and some shampoo. She could already hear some angry voices from the living room. Toiletries packed up, she lugged the suitcase out of her bedroom. The brothers were standing in the living room. Raphael and Lexa were staring each other down. Glass pieces of a broken vase laid on the floor. Raphael was covered in water and his sais were out. He looked livid.

"Dare I ask what happened?" The brunette inquired.

"Your little green friends gave me a scare. They crawled through the window and I threw the first thing I could grab my hands on. I threw the vase."" Lexa explained herself. "Then that one took out his forks and broke it."

"How rude of me." Raphael growled. "I guess we'll take the front door next time. I'm sure the neighbors won't mind four giant turtles walkin' down their hallways. That's New York for ya, right?" He stuffed his sais in their rightful places and began to swipe the water off his skin.

"Don't take him personally!" Michelangelo grinned. "Raph, here, scares everyone! He doesn't mean to be ugly. He was just born that way."

"I'll give you ugly!" The elder turtle roared.

"Enough, you two." Leonardo interjected. "We didn't mean to startle you. It is a habit to come in quietly. We are trained to move under the shadow of stealth."

"Except old mouth breather, here." Raphael gestured toward Michelangelo.

"Hey!" Michelangelo frowned.

"Charming." Lexa rolled her eyes. "Are you sure about this, Mol?"

"Did I mention they're teenagers?" Molly dragged the suitcase with her to the middle of the living room. "This kind of behavior is normal. They're pretty mature for what they have gone through. You don't need to worry about them. April can vouch for them."

"Your redheaded friend?" Lexa snorted.

"Show some humility. They're offering you a safe place to stay until we can figure out our next option." Molly snipped. Silence was her answer and she knew she won the argument. She turned to the terrapins. "I just spoke with April and she will be on her way. We can head out when she gets here." The brothers nodded in response.

"We will need to take separate vehicles." Donatello stated. "We can take the turtle taxi, given the amount of passengers we have. I expect Casey and April will be taking the truck."

"Perfect. Then you boys won't mind me riding with you." Molly places her hands on her hips all business. "We can have a nice group session on the way there." The turtles groaned.

"What about me?" Lexa inquired.

"You will ride up with my redheaded friend and her..." She struggled with the word for a moment. "Boyfriend...You're better off with some human company given the discomfort you have expressed last night." Both women eyed each other in silence.

"Well, this isn't awkward!" Michelangelo piped in. Molly took his interjection as reason enough to step out of the living room and into the kitchen to grab a broom.

"Uhm, hello, Allie?" Leonardo approached Lexa. "I'm not sure you remember me but I'm Leonardo."

"The one from that time." Lexa spoke monotone, running her finger across the scar on her collarbone. "Yeah. Thanks for trying to save me, then. The truth is, I probably would have been better off if you didn't." She stepped away from him and sat on the couch.

"What is your problem!?" Raphael growled.

"Cut it out, all of you!" Molly barked entering with a broom and dust pan. "We're all under a lot of stress. Let's try to play nice until we get to the Farmhouse."

"Farmhouse?" Lexa deadpanned.

"I bet it's nice and spacious." The brunette swept up the glass. "Perfect for you. Fresh air and access to nature." As she stood, Lexa picked up a piece of glass from the floor and brought it to the other woman.

"All I'm worried about is having plenty of alone time with you." She murmured, barely above a whisper as she dropped the glass with the others in the dust pan.

"Will you stop that?" Molly hissed, brushing by her to return to the kitchen. Her cheeks burning with a blush. A knock on the door saved her from the topic. "That must be April. Donatello, do you mind?" The turtle obliged, looking through the peephole before opening it for their human friend. She walked in with Casey right behind. Molly re-entered the living room and made a beeline for April. Giving her a crushing hug and speaking so that only she could hear. "Just in time." They smiled at each other before it was back to business. "Alright, let's get going!"

* * *

Molly sat in the passenger seat of the turtle taxi. She had to admit that Donatello's ingenuity was constantly impressing her. Were it a different kind of world, he would have his pick of any top university. Her heart sank a little as her thoughts went to how all four of them were missing out on their true potential due to their not being human.

"Why so deep in thought, Molly-O?" Michelangelo asked from behind her. "Are you thinking about the 'alone time' that Allie wanted?" He started making kissing noises.

"Can it, shell for brains!" Raphael swatted his brother.

"Why don't we discuss something more productive?" Molly shook her head. "Leonardo, you have been quiet all this time."

"Every since that bitch told him she was better off not bein' saved, he's been poutin'." Raphael said as the eldest brother glowered at him.

"She's right. If I didn't drag her into the helicopter...Was that scar from when she fell? How bad is it?" Leonardo looked at Molly.

"I'm not sure. I haven't asked." She replied. "Don't take what she said to you to heart. She is in a dark place right now and I can't figure out why yet."

"I'm sure she'll let you explore her dark places!" Michelangelo joked.

"MIKEY!" The three brothers shouted in chorus.

"I'm not sure how productive of a group session this is going to be." Donatello sighed.

"To be honest, I was using that as an excuse. We can't have a constructive group discussion until I figure out a plan for Lexa." Molly confessed. "Actually, Donatello, I think you may be able to assist me. She is going to need medical treatment but I can't take her to the hospital. If the agency is looking for her, it's too risky."

"I'm not sure how much I can help." Donatello stated with a frown. "Cancer isn't my expertise..."

"You don't have to do it alone. I have a couple of doctor friends who wouldn't mind working side by side with you."

"I think, I know someone who would be better suited to help me, if you don't mind. We'll need to take the battle shell for this." He turned down the street to the garage. "Mikey, call Leatherhead and have him meet us at the lair." The blood ran cold in Molly's veins. "Molly, could you let April know we're making a little stop and we'll meet them at the farmhouse?"

"Sure..." Molly swallowed and pulled out her phone. What did she just get herself into?"

* * *

Leonardo and Molly sat in the front of the battle shell while the other turtles and their alligator friend rode in the back. She felt a bit irritated with herself for not making eye contact with the larger creature. He was nothing but polite and pleasant. They rode in silence, hearing muted chatter from the back. Leonardo concentrated on the highway with a solemn look to his face.

"Her discomfort for your kind is nothing personal." Molly spoke. "She was nearly killed by a Triceraton when they invaded and she was on a task force to contain some of the mutants during that outbreak the following year. Her brother was mutated and killed before they came up with the cure. By that point, she hated all things alien and mutant." Leonardo listened in silence. "Give her time. I think she will realize all the good you boys possess."

"I'm not so sure about that." He finally said. "You didn't see the way she looked at me."

"Don't let her behavior affect the way you see yourself. You did not fail her." She assured him. "Even if she left with you that night on the helicopter, she would not have changed so easily. I know how her mind works..."

"I've been meaning to ask you," Leonardo glanced in her direction. "Why are you doing all this? Trying to psychoanalyze us for free while working with a government agency that seems to have a thing against us, why?"

"I'm dreaming of a world where we can have different kinds of life forms living at peace together." She winced a little thinking about how her actions around Leatherhead spoke different. "I was assigned a prisoner Triceraton that we somehow managed to capture. Don't ask me how. He was proud and would not speak with me for the longest time. I saw him every day for three and a half months before he started opening up to me. Whether he agreed with his leader or not, he was willing to die fighting for his people. I think it was loneliness that eventually broke down his wall. He had no one to talk to but me for a couple of hours a day. We spoke at length about his family, his life when he was home. I realized he wasn't a monster. Just a soldier following orders; not so different from our earth soldiers. I recommended that we send him home somehow. By that point, the Triceratons had left. I know that the government was collecting pieces of the technology they left behind when they invaded. I figured we could somehow find a way or perhaps he could...Then E.P.F got involved. A man, Agent Bishop, took him away. I have a few friends on the inside that told me he was used for experimentation. I don't know if he is still alive or not. Part of me hopes he has passed to end his suffering."

"You know Agent Bishop?"

"I wouldn't say I know him." Molly replied dryly. "I find him to be an unsavory person. Especially after he took Zog away."

"Zog!?"

"You knew him?"

"We thought he died in an explosion..." He explained. "He gave his life for us. He fought with honor."

"They found him barely alive on a beach before the Triceratons invaded. When they came to earth, was when our sessions started. He knew nothing about them being here." They sat in silence for a moment. "I am finding the world freakishly small..."

"No too long ago, I learned that fate has a purpose for everything."

"Let's just hope it doesn't lead us into a bigger mess than we are already in...

* * *

It was afternoon when they pulled up to the farmhouse. The stops to grab the battle shell, Leatherhead and some salvageable equipment from the local landfill took a couple of hours. The farmhouse was large enough to accommodate everyone, to Molly's relief. When she jumped out of the battle shell, April and Casey came out to meet her."

"Your friend just went down for a nap upstairs." April informed her.

"Yeah, little Miss Sunshine spent the whole ride diggin' in to April." Casey shrugged his shoulders. "Did ya run over her cat or somethin'?"

"No. I honestly don't know why she's so unpleasant." She responded, choosing her words carefully.

"Jealousy." Molly answered. "She thinks you and I had a thing."

"That's a riot." April shook her head.

"The perks of being bi." Molly sighed. "Every friend is considered a possible past lover. I told her gingers weren't my type."

"That wasn't what you were saying when we were nineteen and you drunkenly declared your love for me." April elbowed her friend with a laugh.

"Then a proceeded to vomit on your shoes." The brunette chuckled. "I was quite the romantic."

"You had a thing for April?" Michelangelo approached them from the back of the battle shell with Raphael behind him.

"I was at an experimental age and she was an easy target to fall for." Molly grinned. "Oh, she turned me down so quickly, I think I got whiplash."

"That was a hard month. You gave me the silent treatment for three weeks."

"I was embarrassed! I didn't know how to approach you after that. Then you decided to pull that scene from that movie. You blared that 'Why Can't We Be Friends' song on a boombox in front of my house." April put her arm around Molly as they both doubled over in laughter. "I thought my mother was going to murder me. 'Stop being stupid and make up with her already before the neighbors start talking!'" Molly imitated her mother's Korean accent.

"Whew!" April wiped a tear away and straightened up as the rest gathered around. "Let's go inside."

"Ah, Miss O'Shea. I believe this is yours." Leatherhead approached Molly with her suitcase. "I can help you carry it to your room if it's too heavy for you."

"Yes." Molly took this as an opportunity to make up for her past behavior. "That would really help me out a lot." April directed Molly to an empty room and she and the alligator mutant headed that way. "I owe you an apology." She stated as they entered the bedroom.

"Pardon?" Leatherhead placed her suitcase down.

"I'm so embarrassed for how I treated you when we first met." Molly explained. "I was startled by your appearance in spite of the fact that I promised myself I would not judge anyone, creature or human, by their appearance."

"Miss O'Shea, I understand your fear." Leatherhead shook his head. "Alligators are not known for a friendly disposition."

"Well, I am grateful that you have come here to help my friend even though I was rude the first time we met." She held out her hand. "I hope that we, too, can become friends." Leatherhead gingerly took a hold of her significantly smaller hand and shook it.

"Of course. I would be delighted." He smiled. "Speaking of your friend, I will need a detailed explanation of her condition before Donatello and I start to work on finding a way to send the cancerous cells into remission."

"I will see if she is awake." Molly nodded as they walked out of her room. "Again, thank you for coming."

"Anything for...a friend."

They parted at the hallway. Molly walked upstairs and knocked on the door of the room her friend occupied. When there was no answer, she entered. Lexa laid curled up on top of the sheets. Her back was to the door. The brunette approached her and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Lexa..." She spoke her name softly. No answer. She gently brushed a strand of hair from the sleeping woman's face. As she turned to leave, the blond grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down on to the bed. Once Molly's back hit the mattress, she straddled her with a triumphant smile and pinned her arms above her head.

"Try getting out of this one." Lexa whispered.

"This is getting old." Molly growled. "Get off of me."

"Don't wanna."

"Lexa, you're making me angry."

"Since when has that ever scared me? What are you going to do, break up with me? Oh! You already did that. Or you could kick me out. Nah, that means we came here for nothing. Guess you have no choice but to talk."

"About what?"

"About why you broke up with me. We had it good, Mols."

"Hiding our relationship was good?"

"That was your choice."

"That was the only choice. We could have lost our jobs!" Molly cried. "I couldn't afford that."

"Sure you could have. You could have found another job in an instant!"

"That wasn't an option."

"No, not if you want to continue your stupid crusade for making people accept alien freaks. You liked being on the inside, didn't you? Do you honestly believe people will change there mind and accept these monsters?"

"Maybe if you were more accepting, you wouldn't have shot your brother the moment he changed." Molly spoke the hurtful words softly.

"Ouch, Molly." The blonde shook her head. "You're that desperate to escape my clutches, huh? I know your game. Tell it to me straight. Why did you break it off?"

"I didn't love you." Was the reply. "Not the way you wanted it. Your constant need for my attention was wearing me down. Every time I brought up April's name, you flew into a fit. I couldn't even introduce my lover to my best friend for fear of a fight. After your brother...You changed. Became more possessive, more violent."

"Never to you! I would never hurt you!"

"I wasn't afraid of you laying a hand on me. I was afraid of you smothering me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't have listened. The only time you were ready to listen was when I left you and by that point, I had no desire to go back to you." Molly murmured. Lexa kissed her on the lips, sliding her hand up her arms to hold on to her hands. She pulled back and gazed into the brown eyes of the older woman before moving off of her.

"You'll want me back eventually." She whispered. Molly quickly stood and strode to the door. Her hand hovered over the doorknob.

"Go see Donatello. They need details of your diagnosis to work on finding a way to fight it." She said not looking back. "He has a giant mutated alligator with him. Try not to be a bitch." She opened the door and slammed it behind her before heading down the stairs. Stepping into the kitchen, she found the group talking and laughing amongst each other and her anger broke down a little, however, not enough.

"Raphael." She called out to the hothead of the group. "How about a spar?"

* * *

 **Author's note: The alternate name for this chapter is "Exposition." I'm excited about writing a sparring scene for the next chapter. Stretching out those unused action scene muscles! I'm hoping to write more on the turtles, too. I mean it's a TMNT fanfic for Pete's sake! If I can't get it together to take the focus off Molly, I might have to do it in another fic. More Leatherhead to come, too. I am dying to explore a deeper relationship with him and Molly. He could use some female energy in his life.**

 **Thanks again, for the reviews and follows. Let me know what you think. I can't fix anything if I don't know it needs fixing.**


	8. Confront

**Confront**

 **Leonardo's POV**

Sometimes you're given the opportunity to face your failures. The only trouble is, my latest failure is a bitter woman who wants nothing than to see my brothers and I far away from her. I know I let her down but I'm sure there's something I can do to make it up to her. Molly seems to be convinced that time will help. I'm not sure how much time she has or if it will be enough for that matter...

* * *

Molly faced the largest turtle in the barn. The only light streamed in through the windows. It was spacious and full of the smell of wood and hay. She stretched out her muscles and carefully memorized the architecture around her. Ropes and chains hung at various places. There were areas boxed off for where farm animals would have resided were there any. The upper level held a great deal more hay. There were cobwebs everywhere to mark how little the barn was cleaned. She had politely declined the others joining in to watch. Raphael eyed the brace on Molly's wrist.

"You sure ya wanna do this?" He inquired. "I ain't sure yer in the condition to be fightin'."

"There's no improvement if I don't work at it. I obviously can't spar with someone at the gym since that's quite a few hours away." Molly replied.

"What about April?" He offered.

"April isn't my patient." Molly rolled her shoulders back a few times. "I want to try a session combined with sparring. If you have your concentration divided, it may be easier to express yourself."

"Only if yer good at keepin' up." The turtle teased.

"It doesn't hurt to try." She held her fists out and slid into a wide stance. Knees loose and ready for movement. "Come at me." She saw hesitation. "If you want to go easy on me, then do so. Either way, it will help keep me on my toes." With that, he moved in with a swing to her left. She leaned back to dodge, sweeping her left leg behind. She shifted her weight downward toward the ground as she curled her left leg back with the right leg following suit. Hands placed on the floor, she bent her elbows and kept her upper body upright as if preparing for a handstand before pushing her elbows straight and extending her legs to catch him under the chin in one quick flow of motion. Raphael stumbled back after the hit and rubbed the back of his hand under his chin with a sneer. By then, she had thrown her weight over to complete the flip and immediately turned to face him.

"Alright. Lucky break." He said. Molly smiled.

"Perhaps." She replied, shaking out her injured wrist. The throbbing was a bit irritating but she would have to suck up her risky decision to put weight on it. "Has the hostility toward your brother been better as of late?" She asked as she began to run toward him. Leaping off her right foot, she swung her body around and extended her free leg for a leaping kick. This time, he was prepared. Right arm rose to block the forearm as the left hand followed in a windshield wiper motion to grab her by the ankle. Her swung her to the right, taking advantage of her momentum. Strength, still held back so as not to cause injury.

"I danno what bothers me more." He growled, following her with his eyes as he turned to see where she landed. "His bossing me or his mopin' around." Molly immediately threw her left shoulder to the right to spin her body upright. She landed in a crouched position and briefly extended her sore left arm to steady herself.

"Does that make you want to fight him?" She asked, rising to a standing position.

"Makes me want to knock out that bitch who keeps lookin' at us like we're freaks!" He was already charging by the time she had stood and brought a swing of his left fist quickly followed by another swing with his right completed with a side kick aimed to her chest as he shouted the word "freaks." She managed to step back to the left to dodge one swing and dodged again, straightening herself out which resulted in his foot making contact. She flew back and landed on the ground with a grunt.

"Why is that?" She breathed, pushing herself up. She rolled out of the way in time to avoid the fist that came down as he had followed her as she flew back. She swung her legs over head and threw herself into a crouched position, facing him. She pushed off her legs with all her strength as he stood upright.

"All Leo is tryin' to do is fuckin' apologize to her and she's givin' him nothin' but shit." He replied, looking up in to see that she was in mid leap with an elbow heading toward him. Before he could react, she made contact with his right cheek. Again he stumbled, but she landed into moving legs, following his movement and threw a low kick into the left leg that was holding his leg mid-stumble. Down he went crashing.

"How does that make you feel?" She inquired, backing up. Growls were emitting from the falling turtle and she knew what was about to come. He slowly rose with his fist clenched and a snarling look on his face.

"Angry!" He yelled, charging again with lightning quick punches. It was everything she could do to dodge each coming blow. "Every time we wanna help someone, the thanks we get is them freakin' out on us or throwin' shit at us! Why are we even helpin' anyone if that's all we get in return?"

"Do you think you deserve gratitude?"

"After all we've done for this world, that's the least we should get! I don't wanna keep hidin' just because I'm a mutant! I hate being cut off from the world just because we're different. We didn' ask to be! We saved the world and they still fear us like we're going to eat them!" She knew blocking would be a bit painful, given his size and strength. She ducked under a punch and scrambled past him, heading toward the other side of the barn. "I'm not a fuckin' monster!" He managed to grab her by the shoulder and threw her back.

"Woah!" Again, Molly went flying. This time she was going backwards and could not halt her momentum. She crashed into a bale of hay and winced at the faint pain that throbbed on her lower back. Shaking her head and pushing herself up to stand, she stumbled a bit to the right. Raphael was panting, a look of guilt on his face.

"Molly! I-" He stopped himself and shook his head. "This was a bad idea. I-I guess I am a monster."

"No." She sighed rubbing her back with a grin. "I was pushing it. You aren't a monster." She approached him stiffly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're just a lonely teenager reaching adulthood. The loneliness of being an outcast is a frightening feeling so that anger becomes the mask to hide that vulnerability. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be appreciated for what you do. You and your brothers carry a very large burden on your shoulders. Thank you for looking past the hurt and anger enough to see a reason to save humanity." She murmured.

"Yeah...Whateva." He rubbed the back of is head.

"I think it's time to eat something. I've had enough of getting my ass handed to me." Molly chuckled.

"Yeah." They turned to exit the barn. "Since when do psychologists know how to fight?"

"I was trained in Tae Kwon Do ever since I was six years old." Molly explained. "There was also extensive combat training in various forms of martial arts when I first entered the ranks in the agency. After I earned my bachelor's degree in Psychology, they sought me out due to my professor's recommendation. There was an accelerated course to get my doctorate while I started the combat training. It's the only reason I was able to obtain my license and Ph.D at twenty-four. I've been with the agency since."

"You could use some more trainin'" Raphael goaded.

"I think I did pretty good fighting against a professional mutant ninja." She hmphed in return. "I got in a couple of good hits, after all. That should count for something." They smiled at each other as they headed toward the farmhouse.

* * *

Leonardo slipped through the living room among the snores of his brethren. It was two in the morning and sleep was eluding him. As he stepped outside, the light of the moon seemed to shine a path as if guiding him to a secret place. He obliged and traveled away from the farmhouse until he was surrounded by nothing but trees deep in the woods. The eldest brother slowed his breathing as he let himself melt into his katas. Each move done with grace and precision. Before he could let is mind go to the rhythm of movement, a sound alerted him that he was no longer alone. He continued through the motions for a few more minutes before the owner of the sounds approached him.

"Oh...it's you." Lexa spoke from a distance, clearly disappointed.

"Were you expected someone else?" Leonardo continued through each form, not letting her presence affect his form.

"Molly usually goes for a walk if she can't sleep at night. She's usually an insomniac." Lexa replied. "I heard someone leaving and figured it was her."

"She went to bed." He stated. "She didn't get a lot of sleep last night and she was a bit sore from sparring."

"Sparring? With who?"

"Raph."

"Which one is that?"

"The big one in the red mask."

"WHAT!?" She quickly approached the turtle. "She could have been hurt!"

"Why are you coming at me like I had any say?" He inquired, halting his kata.

"I thought YOU had a handle on your barbaric brother!" Lexa shouted, jabbing him in the plastron.

"Molly _wanted_ to spar with him." He arched an eye ridge.

"How could you let her?"

"She's a grown woman who makes her own choices. Why are you so upset?"

"Because you and your brothers are causing trouble!" She spat. "Dragging Molly into your lives is the worst thing you could be doing for her!"

"Woah! We didn't drag her in. She came to us. We aren't her keepers. If she wants to see us, we can't necessarily stop her."

"It's that red head, isn't it?"

"April?"

"She always jumps for that bitch."

"I don't know what issues you have with her but April is a good person. I'm sure you'll come to see that."

"Ha!" The blonde shook her head. "Why should I believe the words of a mutant? Especially one who can't even keep his word?"

"...I tried to-"

"TRIED?! You want to see what trying did?" Lexa lifted her shirt to show where the rest of the scar on her left collar bone ran. Leonardo immediately averted his eyes to protect her dignity, a hot sensation on his cheeks. "Are you too cowardly to see how you ruined me!? LOOK AT IT!" Slowly, he let his eyes fall on her scar. It extended between her breasts and wrapped around her right side. He looked away again, gritting his teeth. Now she was in his face, shirt dropped back in place. "This was your doing."

"I'm sorry..."

"Is that all?" She laughed. "You RUINED me! That wasn't the only external damage. My legs are covered in scars. My head has a fucking plate in it! My muscles are damaged and I can't taste anything anymore. I lost my job because of you!" Taking a deep breath, she became silent for a moment before hissing out. "The only thing I have left to live for is Molly. If you or your brothers or your fucking _bitch_ of a friend causes her any harm, I'll kill you. Every last one of you. You won't be taking her away from me."

"She's not in danger."

"Oh? You think your little trip to the agency hasn't caused any suspicions? She was at risk the moment she stepped in to see me."

"That was her choice and she would have gone with or without us." Leonardo sighed. "She wouldn't have gone this far without us. I'm sorry I messed up six months ago but this time around, we got it right. You're here and she's safe."

"Big words from a freak who keeps empty promises."

"What do you want from me?"

"There's nothing you can _give_ me. I don't want anything _from_ you." She backed away slowly with a smile. "What I would like to see is you knowing what it's like to have everything precious taken away from you until you have one thing left that is constantly at risk for disappearing. Then, I'll be satisfied." The blonde turned and left him without another word. He stood in silence, staring at the ground as he processed the conversation that just occurred. With a deep inhale, he recommenced his katas until the slightest hint of dawn winked through the trees.

* * *

"Leo's still sleeping?" Donatello inquired from the breakfast table. "That's not like him?"

"He didn' come in til six." Raphael grunted over his scrambled eggs.

"Dude looked pretty heavy, bros." Michelangelo added with a mouthful of food. The brothers sat in the kitchen with a solemn air about clock on the microwave blinked 11:00. They knew something was off with their brother but could not make sense of it.

"He usually acts out by over training. It's not like him to withdraw." Donatello noted.

"I betcha it's that little bitch settin' him off." The bigger turtle sneered. "Woke up to her comin' in a few hours before he did."

"So what? We ask her if she said anything to upset Leo?" Michelangelo queried.

"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be in the mood to share." The purple cladded turtle shook his head. "Especially to us."

"Why not try me?" Molly suggested, entering the kitchen with a yawn. "Lexa's been giving big brother some trouble?"

"We're not sure." Donatello replied. "It appears so."

"I'll see if I can talk some sense into her." The brunette rubbed her lower back. Raphael smirked.

"Still hurtin' from your ass kickin'?"

"You had the advantage of not being injured and your mutation gives you a greater level of strength." Molly hmphed. "I held my own perfectly fine. Were you a regular man, I would have had a better chance."

"Sure."

"All of that aside, is Leatherhead awake?" Molly inquired, pouring herself a coffee.

"He's in the cellar right now trying to put together a CT scanner. It should be done by the evening." Donatello replied. "We set up a little area for a laboratory last night. Once everything is completed, we can run diagnostics to get a better idea of what we're working with."

"That's much quicker than I expected." She breathed raising both brows and pouring another cup of coffee. "I'll go check on his progress and give him some joe." She carried both mugs with her out of the kitchen.

"I don't think helpin' that Allie bitch out is worth all this trouble." Raphael growled. "She hasn't even said one word of thanks."

"I don't think we're likely to get that from her anytime soon." Leonardo mumbled entering the kitchen.

"Leo! Finally decided to join the world of the living?" Michelangelo stood and gave him a slap on the back. "Woah! Dude! Are you alright?" He noticed the look of pure exhaustion on his brother's face.

"Yeah. No offense but ya look like crap." Raphael added.

"Didn't sleep much." The eldest brother yawned and sat at the table.

"Hey, what's goin' on wit you?" Raphael demanded. "One day yer up our asses and the next, yer goin' off on yer own."

"I was just training. You could stand to do more." Was the reply.

"Don't play that game wit me!" Raphael slammed a fist on the table. "You've been actin' funny."

"Don't worry about how I'm acting. Right now we need to figure out what we're going to do about these super soldiers the E.P.F is trying to make." Leonardo straightened up all business. "I wouldn't be surprised if Bishop sent them our way before long."

"We have some time if they are in the testing stages." Donatello affirmed. "We could probably have Molly keep us up to date on their progress."

"No. We're not going to involve her in this. That will put her at risk." Leonardo stated.

"Are you kiddin'?" Raphael snorted. "She's already in the thick of it."

"With Bishop involved, it's only a matter of time before he figures out our connection with her. We should probably stop seeing her altogether."

"Why the sudden concern for her safety?" The purple cladded brother inquired. "I'm thinking she's been careful up to this point."

"Look, we don't know how much Bishop even knows. He could be aware of her seeing us and waiting for the perfect time to strike." He shook his head. "For all we know, she could be in cahoots with him."

"Paranoid much?" Michelangelo slurped his milk. "This is Molly-O we're talking about."

"Right, but we also have to look at this objectively and consider every possible risk. She works for an agency that would like nothing more than to see us locked away in a lab."

"I'd like to see 'em try." Raphael grunted. "April trusts her. They go way back."

"I know but we never know 100% if someone is safe for this family or not."

"Maybe you should get some sleep before considering who is out to betray us." Donatello suggested. "I get your concern but you're not exactly thinking at your clearest when sleep deprived." Leonardo sighed and stood. Without a word, he left the room. He knew his brothers had reasons to question him. He wasn't even feeling like himself lately. If only he could pinpoint why.

* * *

A few hours had gone by and Molly sat on a lab table, sipping on her coffee as she watched the large alligator mutant fiddle with parts of the CT scanner. She swung her legs back and forth, enjoying the moment of silence. Leatherhead looked up briefly to study the brunette. There was a lot of relief for her overcoming her initial fear. He couldn't help but feel awful whenever someone looked at him as if he were about to devour them. His appearance was good enough reason but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"I may have this finished within the next two hours." He notified her.

"I really must thank you for working so diligently." Molly smiled as she brought the mug to rest on her lap. "You really have a finesse for these things, don't you?"

"I have the Utroms to thank. They taught me." He said almost sadly as he thought about his old family.

"Utroms...Ah! I think April described them as...something along the lines of a talking brain." She still had a lot of difficulty visualizing those creatures. "So they raised you?"

"Yes. They taught me everything I know."

"It must be lonely with them gone."

"I wish I could have joined them but the brothers have been wonderful company."

"Why don't you stay with them?" Molly asked, taking another sip of coffee.

"It is not safe for me to stay too long." Leatherhead hesitated. "I cannot always control my anger." Molly could sense something deeper within the statement.

"Perhaps, we can find a way to help you cope with whatever may cause your anger." She murmured. "I would love to help."

"Thank you but I wouldn't want to burden you."

"Well, the offer is always on the table." Molly finished her coffee and hopped off the table. "Would you like another cup of coffee?"

"I am fine, thank you." The alligator did his best to show a smile that didn't look too frightening. Molly grinned at the attempt.

"I'll send Donatello your way." She went up the steps of the cellar. As she closed the door behind her, she saw Lexa walking down the hall. "Lexa!" The blonde turned.

"So that's where you were." She smiled and approached the brunette.

"Have you found an opportunity to speak with Leonardo?" She inquired as the smile faded from Lexa's face.

"Maybe. Why?"

"I'm sure you have some catching up to do. He must be thrilled to see that you're alive."

"No thanks to him."

"Lexa..."

"Look. I put the freak in his place." She snapped. "He thinks an apology can fix his fuck up. I don't even know why he's here. We don't need them, do we?"

"It's nice to have them around in the event we are found. What do you mean you put him in his place? He was concerned about your safety."

"Is that why he abandoned me? Left me to die?"

"From what I know of him, he probably wouldn't have left you if he had a choice in the matter. Need I remind you that you are dealing with a teenager? Would your expectation be as high if it were a 17-year-old boy?"

" _None_ of them act like 17-year-old boys."

"They may be very resilient to the horrors of their surroundings but they are still very young and have so much more to grow. I understand that his inability to save you that night has left you with a lot of anger, but attacking him is not going to help. They are trying to help you and I think these boys are your best bet."

"You are the only reason why I'm letting these creatures 'help' me." The younger woman hissed. "I don't trust them. I'm not going to like them and I refuse to forgive Leonardo. I hurt his feelings? Good. That's nothing compared to what I went through."

"You've become such an ugly person, lately." Molly murmured as she brushed past her. "Go on, then. Hold on to your hate. I'm not going to be around to watch it."

"Molly!"

"Those turtles have been through their fair share of trauma. Yet they still possess the ability to want to save the very people who shun them...who fear them...I don't know the extent of your injuries." Gritting her teeth, Molly looked at her former lover. "I can only tell from what I have seen so far that you carry severe emotional damage. You were gone for six months. No call...no letter...Nothing. What happened? Where were you? I didn't want to ask you until you were ready to talk about it but...God! You're not the same person."

"If I were...Then what would happen with us?"

"I can't go back to that."

"We don't have a job frowning upon our relationship anymore."

"It's not that."

"Oh. I get it." Lexa offered an empty smile. "I'm a monster now, right? You wouldn't able to stand the sight of my body."

"Stop it." Molly whispered. "What we had was platonic. It was always platonic. There may have been a brief moment when I felt deeper but that was just a glimmer of time that we can't have back. You had a temper back then and I had no patience for that from anyone. Right now, that temper has turned into hate. You know very well that I have little tolerance for that." Lexa reached out for her but she backed away. "Stop."

"Mols, I-"

"We will find a way to cure you and then, I can't see you anymore. I'm sorry, Lexa, but I can't be with someone who hates someone just because they are alien or mutated."

"Molly!"

"Those turtles...Leatherhead...Splinter...They're wonderful. They are good inside and you won't see that. I understand you can't and I get it but when they are helping to save your life, I hope you can find some part of you to feel gratitude for what they are doing for you."

"You're choosing them over me."

"What, are you five? Have you been listening to me?"

"You're choosing them over me."

"You know what?" Molly her hands over her face in frustration. "If that's how you want to take it, then fine! If you'll excuse me, I have to find Donatello." Lexa watched as Molly walk away, biting her bottom lip as tears welled in her eyes.

"Molly, don't do this. You're all I have." Molly stopped.

"You have your life. You have you. I'm not your saving grace." She murmured without looking at the younger woman. "Just...try to be civil with Leonardo. You really ought to give him a chance. He was broken up about not saving you."

"Why do you care about _him_ so much? Are you in love with him?"

"Oh, for the love of- " Molly whirled around, anger flashing in her eyes. "Teenage boys! These are teenage boys. Of course, I'm not in love with him! One! Too young. Two! Interspecies relationship is not on my board. Three! I don't have time for romance in my life and I certainly wouldn't want to start one with an underage patient of mine. Stop acting so foolish!" She stormed off to exit the farmhouse, slamming the door behind her. "Fuck!" She strode past the group of brothers training. "Donatello, Leatherhead could use your help." She said, as she continued walking toward the woods. All four turtles threw each other puzzled looks before the genius of the brothers broke away to join his fellow intellectual in the cellar.

"You think we should go after her?" Michelangelo inquired of the other two.

"Probably not." Leonardo replied twirling his swords. "Free-for-all?" Raphael and Michelangelo grinned at each other as they took out their weapons.

* * *

 **Author's note: Another short one. Drama drama drama. Hate is hard to overcome when you refuse to see all aspects of your current situation. Lexa is being a stubborn gal. Please feed this poor author with reviews. What do you think Molly should do about Lexa? Do you think the turtles will win her over? Should Leatherhead consider Molly's offer?** **Hmmmmm.**


	9. Found

**Author's note: Some spoilers from Scion of the Shredder. Just a bit. I still don't own the turtles...Or April, Casey and Bishop. I own Molly and Lexa, though. That counts for something, right?  
**

* * *

 **Found**

 **Michelangelo's POV**

Everyone's been doing a lot of moping since we saved that Allie or Lexa chick. Even Leo's been worse than his usual 'I failed as a leader' phase. I'm starting to think there's something going on but puzzles are more Donnie's thing. I think it has to do with that crazy chick but I 'm pretty sure Molly-O is trying to cover that. She wants to meet for a session which I am totally down for. I don't know what she's trying to get out of me but as long as we can chat about the latest edition of Silver Sentry, I'm game!

* * *

 **Third person POV**

It had been two days and Molly was becoming increasingly concerned with Lexa's behavior. The CT scanner was up and running but their patient was avoiding any use of it at all costs. She complained of not feeling well for half a day before her excuses turned into her disappearing. By the time she would return, she would reason that she was too tired and lock herself into her room. It didn't help that she was not speaking with Molly since their last spat. They barely made eye contact and when they did it was usually Molly catching her mid-stare. She was beginning to wonder if the suicidal tendencies were going to return.

"So what's with the bow, Molly-O?" Michelangelo's question interrupted her thoughts. A quiver of arrows slung over her right hip as she carried a bow in hand. The brunette was leading the youngest of the brothers deep into the woods. He was babbling on about comic books as they walked before he made mention of her weapon.

"A little game of concentration." She replied, guiding him into an opening. She pointed to the trees a bit of a distance away. "I drew targets on those trees. You are going to try to hit them." She explained as she unclipped the quiver from her hip and handed it and the bow to the turtle. "I'm assuming your master taught you some archery."

"A little. I wasn't too good at it." Michelangelo admitted.

"Well, just try." Molly ordered as she sat on the ground to watch. He slung the quiver over his shoulder before drawing out a bow. As he took aim, she spoke. "Have you been feeling concerned for Leonardo?"

"Huh?" He lowered the bow and looked in her direction.

"Don't stop aiming." She pointed again to the trees. "I'm sure you can multitask."

"I don't know." He took aim again. "He's always mopey when he doesn't feel good about himself. Sometimes it takes a while for him to snap out of it." He released the arrow and frowned as it hit the ground beside a tree.

"Try again." She eyed the turtle. He sighed but obeyed. "Do you think he'll snap out of it?"

"Maybe." He took aim. "It might take him having to leave again..."

"Do you want him to leave?" He released the arrow and glared at her. It flew way off course.

"No."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why don't you want your brother to leave?" Molly inquired. "Try another one."

"Why am I even doing this?"

"Just shoot another arrow." Was the reply. As he drew another arrow from the quiver, the turtle shook his head. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"This is so not fun, Molly-O"

"Well?"

"Why would I want him to leave? I don't want anyone to leave." He took aim.

"As you all age, that may be inevitable."

"Yeah, well we'll deal with that when it happens." He shot another arrow, striking just below the target. "Ha!"

"What was it like with him gone the first time?"

"Everyone was so bummed out." He readily took out another arrow with more confidence. "It was exhausting. Anytime Leo's name came up, the whole room would get quiet. I don't want to go through that again." He took aim.

"What made it exhausting?"

"Trying being the only one not moping around. Raph was even moodier than normal." He shot another arrow that hit right below the target again. "Donnie locked into project after project. Even Master Splinter seemed out of it. No one wanted to listen to my jokes."

"You tried to cheer everyone up?"

"Yeah. It didn't do a lot of good. We tried to patrol a few times but it wasn't the same. Then we ended up losing our home because Karai still had a grudge against us for sending the Shredder to some ice planet." He took out another arrow and aimed. "Man were we glad to have Leo back."

"So you can't grow as a team without Leonardo?"

"Who else is going to lead us?" He released the arrow, this time making it to the edge of the target. "Alright!"

"I suppose any of you could." Molly replied to which Michelangelo snorted.

"Raph gets too impatient. Donnie gets too stressed out. I wouldn't even bother."

"You don't like the idea of leading?"

"It's hard enough watching my own shell. I can handle looking out for my brothers, too, sometimes. But to do all that and try to come up with plans...My brain hurts now just thinking about it." He grabbed another arrow and took aim. "I mean; I can barely concentrate during meditation. How would I even begin to lead?"

"What if he could not return one way or the other?" She inquired as he released the arrow. It landed farther off course than his initial ones.

"A little heavy, Molly-O..." He spoke quietly as he slipped the quiver off of his shoulder and handed it to her with the bow. "I'm done talking about this." Molly sighed and stood up, dusting herself off before taking them back.

"You did good up to this point." She tied the quiver over her hip and headed for the trees to collect the arrows.

"Why was I shooting arrows?"

"I figured if your concentration was split between talking and shooting, we could have a more honest conversation." Molly replied picking up the arrows off the ground. "As much as I enjoy speaking of comic books with you, I'm still trying to get you to speak of something real."

"Not very cool." The turtle crossed his arms over his plastron. "I told you that I'm fine."

"That's what worries me." She began to pull the arrows out of the tree. "It is possible that your coping mechanism if very effective, but I'm not entirely convinced that is the case. Even if it is, you're still not addressing the problem."

"What problem?" He inquired as she approached him.

"How does a teenage mutant ninja turtle come out of traumatic experiences so well adjusted?" She answered his question with a questioned. "I wonder if you're repressing your true feelings."

"Come on, Molly-O!" Michelangelo whined. "Do you want me to act grumpy like Raph or serious like Leo...Or lose sleep like Donnie?"

"You don't have nightmares?"

"Maybe." He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "But the others listen to me when I tell them about it."

"That's good." She smiled. "Do you tell them about other things, like how you feel about what you guys have went through?"

"Not really."

"Maybe it's time to start."

"I'm not into this Debbie Downer conversation. They have enough negativity between the three of them. Someone has to balance that out." He pointed out.

"Fair enough." Molly waved him to follow as she headed back toward the farmhouse. "But you're not exactly giving yourself that kind of balance. If you can't express the darker feelings you have, it will eventually come out in a destructive way. Don't get me wrong, I find your resilience to be very impressive, but true feelings eventually come to the surface."

"I swear, I'm fine."

"Then why is it so difficult for you to speak about how you feel?"

"Gotta give up something to keep this good wave going for as long as I can."

"Very well, then." Molly sighed. "If you do find the need to talk, you know how to reach me."

"Sure." Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders. "Now, back to that last Silver Sentry comic. It completely blew my mind!" They spent the rest of the walk speaking of comics.

* * *

Lexa paced back and fourth on the front porch, waiting for Molly to return. Her thumb shoved against her teeth to nibble on the very tip of her nail. The front door opened and out came the largest turtle of the bunch. She tried to remember the name. _Was it Raphael or Renoir or some other old artist?_ They eyed each other with blatant disgust.

"What?" He finally growled. "Somethin' buggin' ya?"

"Yeah." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You and your freak brothers walking around like it's okay expose us with your ugly appearance."

"Oh! I'm sorry we didn' mean to offend ya with our looks. But don't worry, we'll turn back into princes at midnight!" He snarled. "Just because yer skin is the color of a mole rat, don't make you any better lookin'"

"Are you kidding me?" She sneered. "You four are the only ones in the world. You don't belong here. If anything, you should be swimming at the bottom of some punk kid's fish tank eating flies. It's by some freak accident you exist as you are. You're no better than a Siamese twin or the elephant man. Mankind will never accept mistakes like you. Get used to it."

"Woah! Harsh man!" Michelangelo exclaimed, approaching the porch with Molly right behind.

"I see you're being as charming as ever." Molly deadpanned. "Don't take her word to heart, boys. She's just cynical."

"I need a word with you." Lexa stepped off the porch and grabbed the brunette by the arm to pull her away.

"Bitch..." Raphael grunted under his breath.

"Aw! Come on, Raphie!" Michelangelo stepped on the porch and gave his brother's carapace a pat. "You're maybe only half as ugly as the elephant man!"

"I'll show you ugly!" Raphael barked as he chased after his younger sibling.

Molly, meanwhile allowed herself to be dragged away in hopes to avoid further confrontation between Raphael and Lexa. The blonde led her to the barn before she felt they were far enough from prying ears. They stood in silence momentarily as the younger woman gathered her thoughts together.

"You need to go. WE need to go." She finally said.

"Oh, really? And where to? You haven't even given Donatello an opportunity to help you with your condition." Molly snipped.

"You think I want him and that monstrosity he calls a friend to touch me?"

"They just wanted to start off with getting a CT scan. Is that so frightening?"

"YES! They built that thing in the basement. Who knows what kind of radiation it can be giving off?"

"Pretty low since it's a CT scanner. They don't typically give off that much."

"That's if they didn't mess it up. You don't know if that thing works right or not."

"Fine, you have a legitimate fear, but I trust them."

"How can you? I don't get it! How? They are animals who talk."

"They are highly intelligent mutated creatures. I think Donatello has an IQ rivaling Einstein. Leatherhead is probably the same. You have no reason to fear them, either. Those are the pacifists of the group." Molly put a hand on her shoulder. "Just let them help you."

"No...We...We have to leave here. I'm giving you one last chance." Lexa gazed into her eyes. "I don't want to lose you to this."

"What is going on with you...? I'm not going anywhere right now."

"You need to stay away from them. Or...You'll end up regretting it. Do you really want to sacrifice it all for them?"

"I made my choice. That is not up for discussion."

"Neither is my health. I'm sorry, Molly. I really tried." She walked away leaving the older woman puzzled.

* * *

Molly pushed her peas around the plate as she sat deep in thought. The background chatter was Michelangelo telling a funny story, she figured, but she didn't allow herself to pay close attention. Something was off about her earlier conversation and it was nagging at her. Lexa had gone straight to her room after and refused to answer when she had knocked on the door.

"'I'm giving you one last chance...'" She muttered.

"Molly?" April looked questioningly at her friend.

"'We need to leave here...'" She repeated Lexa's words again. Suddenly she stood as it sank in. "We need to leave here!"

"What's wrong?" Leonardo jumped up from his seat. His senses heightened from the sudden outburst. He had a sixth sense for danger.

"I-I think we're compromised. I think Lexa might have..." Molly shook her head. "We need to get out of here NOW!" Before anyone could react, a knock came from the front door. "You guys better-" She turned to the turtles only to notice they had disappeared. "...scatter..." She met eyes with April and Casey before they moved slowly to the door.

"Who is it?" April called out.

"Can I use your phone?" A man's voice inquired from behind the door. "My car broke down a mile down the road." The three looked at each other. Casey shook his head.

"I'm sorry." April apologized. "We don't have a working line right now. There should be another house a couple of miles down the road."

"Oh...Alright. Sorry for the trouble." The man sighed and his footsteps alerted them that he left the porch. They began to move away from the door.

"What is this about what Lexa might have done?" April inquired before a small explosion blew the door open. The three humans were thrown to the ground, cut up by wood and heat. Molly could hear a high pitch ringing in her ears as she tried to gather her bearings. Bright lights attached to guns nearly blinded her already fuzzy vision.

"We have to move!" She called to April and Casey who were trying to pull themselves together. Casey grabbed April and Molly by the hand and ducked into another room before the intruders opened fire, a string of curses leaving his lips.

"They can't be shooting at us!" The brunette cried aghast at the very thought that she could have been riddled with bullets.

"No." April blinked quickly, her vision finally coming back to focus. "I think they saw something else worth shooting at." On cue to confirm her statement, a loud growl could be heard from the hall.

"Is that...?" Molly inquired.

"Leatherhead." April replied. The door opened and Michelangelo's head popped in.

"Sorry to interrupt but we gotta split!" He shouted over the gun fire.

"Are you joking!?" Molly demanded exasperated. "There is a sea of bullets out there."

"No worries!" The turtle gave her a lazy smile. "LH has them distracted!" Though apprehensive, she allowed the words to convince her enough to leave the room. They followed Michelangelo up the stairs to the attic. There the other turtles were waiting. With a nod, Donatello slipped out of the window and helped pull the humans on to the roof. Michelangelo and Raphael followed close behind and Leonardo made up the tail end. They balanced precariously as they made their way across the roof.

"Molly!" Lexa's voice traveling to meet them from behind halted Molly mid-step. She slowly whirled around, looking beyond alarmed faces to the gaze at the blonde she once called her lover. She stood at the other end of the roof calmly.

"Was this you?" She demanded, already knowing the answer.

"Just surrender the freaks and you won't face the agency for your betrayal!" Was the reply.

"You know I can't do that. How could _you_ betray us? They wanted to help you."

"Molly, we have to keep moving." April urged.

"I don't have cancer." Lexa finally announced.

"What...?" Molly breathed. They all looked over at the blonde now in a mix of disgust and disbelief.

"It was all a ruse to watch and get close to the turtles." Lexa confessed.

Molly stared dumbfounded at the other woman as if she were a ghost. Knees buckling, everything set in. Balance gave way and she slid down the roof, still shocked by the revelation of it all. They were all in danger and it was her fault. A gentle and haunted sole was sacrificing himself downstairs because of her stupidity. Casey's grandmother's house was possibly a loss because she never suspected such an obvious thing. This was why she avoided using the CT scanner. This was why she begged her to leave. All along she was being played. As she felt the roof disappear from underneath her descending body, she decided she deserved no less then this now. It was okay. Three fingers wrapped around her forearm and halted gravity from claiming her. Molly snapped back to reality and looked up. Hanging from the gutter was the fearless leader himself.

"Are you crazy!?" He barked.

"I put you all in danger!" She cried.

"Well, concentrate on getting out of here, then we can sulk and point fingers." Pursing her lips together, Molly nodded her head. He lifted her up by the arm. "Put your hands around my neck." He directed and she obeyed. With a hand free, he helped maneuver her behind his shell before making the climb down the side of the farm house. At this point, the others were climbing down from the other side as he had directed them to before diving after the falling psychologist. There were more men waiting as they reached the ground.

"You need to go." She finally told the turtle who drew out his katana.

"Not without you."

"I'm going to slow you down. If they capture you, who knows what will happen to you? I'll probably get held in a cell. I'm not in any danger. Leave."

"..."

"Stop calculating and planning and just GO!"

"We will find you."

"I'm counting on it."

"Wait for us."

"I don't really have a choice." She waved him on as five men closed in. "Go." The blue cladded terrapin gave her one last apologetic look before leaping over the heads of the armed men. He zigzagged into the woods as they three of them took chase and shot tranquilizers. The other two pointed their guns at her.

"You're coming with us." One stated.

"I guessed as much." She murmured raising her hands to show she was unarmed. She let them lead her to a black SUV with tinted windows. There, John Bishop waited. She sat beside him with a grim expression.

"You must be Molly O'Shea."

"The one and only."

"You are being taken into custody for violating code 1064. Hiding alien fugitives."

"They aren't aliens and I'm pretty sure you know that." She hissed. He simply smiled at her. The door opened and Lexa slid in beside her. "Perfect. I'm surrounded by assholes. My day just can't get any better. I want a lawyer."

"It doesn't work that way, Miss O'Shea." Agent Bishop said. "You were bound by the government to uphold the law. The stakes are higher for a woman in your position."

"Then imprison me. You won't be getting any information." She looked ahead, avoiding eye contact from both of them. Bishop nodded to the driver.

As the car drove off the property, Molly hoped with all of her might that they all escaped unscathed and with their lives intact. A voice over a radio grabbed a hold of her attention.

"We have one!" He reported.

"Good." Bishop spoke into the radio looking rather pleased. "Bring him in."

"Sorry, Molly." Lexa whispered, injecting a needle into her neck before she could react. The brunette glared at the blonde, her vision blurring. As she fought to cling on to consciousness, she made herself stare into her ex-lover's eyes.

"If you're looking for a monster," She slurred. "You didn't have to seek those boys out. All you had to do is look in the mirror." She caught a glimpse of hurt in her expression before she gave in to the black that came with sleep, thoroughly satisfied with the reaction she brought out in her. Her finally waking thoughts was a simple question. _Which turtle do they have?_

* * *

 **Author's Note: I did rush this one a bit. I admit it. I may go back and revamp it at some point. I'm just so impatient and want to pump out these chapters. Woe is me. Here's a little secret. I haven't even decided on which turtle they caught. Muahahahahaha! Stay tuned.**


	10. Trapped

**Many apologies for the delay. Molly was giving me the silent treatment. Please be advised that the bold lettering further down is Morse code.  
**

* * *

 **Trapped**

 **Donatello's POV**

No one was prepared for the assault at the farmhouse. We were a bit blindsided even though there were things that should have given away that something was off. Allie/Lexa's behavior was beyond resistant to our help. For instance, avoiding the testing of her blood. That should have rung some alarm bells. We were too focused on her hate against mutants to realize it was really her trying to hide that she wasn't a victim of cancer. I think Molly is taking it the hardest that she couldn't look past an old friendship to see the wolf in sheep's clothing. Our main concern now is getting her out of the clutches of the very agency she works at. Well, _worked_ at. Something tells me her services are no longer welcome.

 **Third Person POV**

Molly groaned as consciousness returned to her in the guise of fuzzy vision and muffled sounds. She was laying on a tile floor. As she slowly brought herself to a sitting position, she gathered her surroundings. Her vision was clearing, revealing the white room she was in. Her eyes fell on the green figure sitting across the room. A quick blink did very little to help her focus properly through the fuzziness but the bit of purple that stood out against the green was all she needed.

"Donatello?" She inquired, quite sure it was the right color she was seeing. He immediately looked up and smiled.

"You're awake." He stood and approached her. After taking a seat beside her he spoke again. "You were out for quite a while."

"I'm a light weight with everything." She explained, his image becoming clearer. "Whatever cocktail they gave me is still making me woozy. How long was I unconscious?"

"A few hours." Was the reply. The brunette grimaced.

"What a mess we're in." She sighed. "They have cameras in here with audio recording devices as well. They're watching and listening in as we speak."

"I figured as much but I don't care. There is something important I need to tell you."

"What is it? Is everything alright? April?"

"She's fine. Listen..." He put a hand on her knee. "Molly, I can't hold it back anymore. But I feel for you."

"Donatello, what are you trying to say? "Molly frowned finding this the most inconvenient of times one could bring up such a ridiculous topic. What's more, he had his hand resting on her knee. The drumming of his finger was distracting. That was when she realized he wasn't just percussing on her limb.

"I am just trying to communicate with you. "He stated giving a quick glance down to his hand. Morse code.

"I don't know what to say." Molly rested her hand on his and started to tap her index finger on the back of his hand. Using a designated rhythm to communicate, she asked him to **repeat** what he had tapped. Though his mouth was turned down, his eyes were smiling. They developed a game of sorts in a few of their past sessions on communicating via Morse code while holding a conversation. It was a way of dividing his focus to work against overthinking when he spoke. What a relief that it served another use.

"I know it seems sudden but I had to let you know. I don't know what will happen from here...If we'll even make it out." He confessed as he tapped his fingers again. **Help here at 0300**

"Donatello, stop. This is ridiculous. You know this would never work." **Why this conversation?**

"I know you're a professional but we have so much in common!" **Easier to make contact for communication.**

"This cannot and will not work." **The plan?**

"Why? Can't you see that there's something special between us? You've helped me see the world in a more positive light." **They break in**. **We** **break out** **and go home.** **Got a gizmo to help.**

"Not only are you underage...We aren't even the same species." **Gizmo?**

"I thought you were an advocate for mutant rights." **It goes BOOM.**

"Rights, yes. Interspecies coupling...no. I must also stress again that you are a minor and your being a different species doesn't change that." **How will we know when they get here?**

"I understand..." **Alarms.**

"This is nothing against you, Donatello. You are a smart, brave and wonderful being. You will find someone who can cherish that and give you all the love you are deserving of." **Ought to end fake conversation.**

"Y-yeah...I get it." **Save that speech for Mikey.**

"You'll be alright?" **Hardy har.**

"Of course. It's just a silly crush, you know?" He took his hand off of her knee and rubbed the back of his head and tried to look disappointed.

"What of your brothers? Are they alright?"

"They made it out but they weren't doing so hot. I acted as a distraction for them to get away." He lied for the camera's sake. "I don't know if or when they will be coming."

"You should know better than to reveal that here." Molly hissed, joining in on the act. She knew very well that they were fine if they were to undertake a rescue mission. She was worried for Leatherhead and April but patience was a necessity so as not to draw out suspicion.

"Sorry, I'm just...I'm worried about them and I needed someone to talk to."

"I'm sure they will be alright." She glanced down at her watch. Minutes past midnight.

The door opened and in came Lexa carrying a tray of food with two guards behind her; one who also carried a tray. Molly quirked a brow at her ex lover before looking away, unwilling to give her any more of her attention. With a determined expression, the blonde set the tray next to the older woman and knelt beside her.

"You can't ignore me all day. You will have to answer for your betrayal." She stated as one of the guards dropped the other try down in front of Donatello, splattering juice, with a sneer.

"Was that really necessary?" Molly asked of the guard, placing one of her two cups of juice on her fellow prisoner's tray.

"She's a mutant lover now." The other guard shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell, Molly!? Don't you care about the human race?"

"How does befriending one who is devoted to this world affecting the human race in an ill way? Don't act as if you know what this is all about." She snapped. "Your prejudice leaves you blind to the bigger picture. I have nothing further to say to you." Her eyes fell on Lexa. "Any of you."

"This isn't a game, Molly!" Lexa grabbed the brunette by the arm and pulled her up to a standing position. Donatello was on his feet but the two guards blocked him from interfering with guns in hand. "Bishop's idea of putting you two in the same cell is bull. I'm getting you out of here."

"Don't TOUCH me!" Molly pulled her arm from her grasp and slapped her across the face. The blonde raised her hand up to stop the guards from retaliating. "Take your food, take your prejudice and take your lying ass out of here. We are beyond through with conversation or any for that matter. If I see you again, I will not stop at a bitch slap. You burned the last piece of the bridge that served as my loyalty to you. Get. The fuck. Out."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." She said coolly. With a nod, she left with the guards, slamming the door behind. Molly pressed her thumb and index finger against her eyes to hold off the headache that was beginning to make an appearance.

"Are you alright?" The terrapin inquired.

"I'm fine. I'm not one to let a little CUNT ruin my day." She emphasized the awful word while looking straight at the camera to further make clear her disdain for the woman.

"Woah."

"I'm sorry for my unprofessional demeanor, Donatello." She sat down on the floor. "I would rather not hold a session here but perhaps we can take this time to discuss the adventures you have taken part of."

He grinned and sat beside her as he opened up to tell of his time spent on the Triceraton planet and how they had escaped. She listened eagerly with a small smile, letting his stories serve as a brief distraction from their current predicament.

* * *

At three in the morning, an alarm went off as the genius terrapin had said. Donatello stood and removed what appeared to be a hidden patch on the inner rim of his shell. He placed it on the doorknob and held his thumb against it for the count of ten, waving Molly to stand back further. He then rushed to her side before a minor explosion created a hole in the door.

"A new invention LH and I put together with all the time spent not curing Lexa's make believe cancer." He explained to the brunette of the device that aided in their escape.

They pushed the door open and ran down the hall. With Molly's knowledge of the geography of the building, she guided them toward the exit. A group of guards blocked the hall. Molly leapt into a flying kick and took one out as Donatello followed with a roundhouse, knocking four more of their feet. They fought their way through, making it priority to quickly disarm those who carried weapons. When the last of the guards laid unconscious on the floor, she looked to her purple cladded partner in crime.

"Will the others be alright?" She inquired, directing him to follow her with a wave as she began to run down the hall.

"April was supposed to hack into the video feed to let the boys know when we got out and then they'll make their escape." Footsteps followed them as they pushed a door that led to the stairwell.

"We're limited to where we can exit at this point and this place is probably swarming with security now."

"Find me a window and I'll cover the rest."

"You got it."

They raced up the steps to the next door and pushed through. She attempted to open another door that resisted her as it was locked. This did nothing to stop Donatello who kicked it open with the sheer strength any mutated turtle of his training would have. They stepped in. It was an office with just what he had requested. A window. He grabbed Molly by the arm and raced toward it; taking the last few seconds to turn his carapace to the window and pulling her tightly against his plastron as he burst through the glass shell-first. She held her breath and bit back a scream; stray shards biting into exposed flesh in her on her arms. A flip in the air redirected his direction of descent and he landed on the ground in a crouch.

"A little brash!?" She snapped exasperated.

"My brothers aren't the only ones to have a reckless streak." Donatello gently put her down and they ran from the building. "If plans haven't changed, there should be a getaway vehicle coming soon."

On cue, the Battleshell bursted through the chain-linked fence up ahead and screeched to a halt in front of the escapees. They hopped into the back and nearly tumbled over as it raced from the building. Michelangelo stood in the far corner and tossed a shell cell to Donatello who pulled out the head piece and fixed it over the opening of his ear. In the middle of the bed, Raphael sat on a motorcycle. The sound of screaming tires echoed not to far behind them, alerting them to their state of being pursued. Donatello opened the back door. With a revving of the motor, Raphael and cycle flew from the truck in a roar of engine and burning rubber. The door came slamming down as he cleared the exit. The battle shell turned a corner and all 5'2 of Molly went flying into the wall with a yelp. Michelangelo, who was also in the bed of the truck with them, assisted her into a seat and helped her buckle in.

"Careful, Molly-O. We have Casey at the wheel." He informed the brunette. "We'll be home soon. Raph is going to distract them and lead them away."

"Will he be alright?"

"Sure! He does this kind of thing all the time." The inertia tugged at them as another abrupt turn was made.

"Ooph...I hope this doesn't go on for any longer." Molly whispered. "Everyone made it away from the farmhouse? Any injuries?" She inquired of any of the two brothers.

"A little roughed up, but we all got out." The lighthearted of the turtles affirmed. "April and Casey are in the front."

"Leatherhead broke into the agency with Leo but they have just reported they got out safely." Donatello added. "Raph is drawing our pursuers away as we speak. I guess they couldn't fight the temptation of the apparent ease of taking one turtle down."

"I do hope he makes it back safely." The brunette sighed. "All this trouble..." She leaned back and pursed her lips. The brothers eyed each other silently.

They arrived safely at the lair and convened in the living room. Molly pulled her redheaded friend into a crushing hug and the women took a seat on the couch; assuring each other that the other was fine. It wasn't long before Leonardo and Leatherhead joined them. Donatello murmured into his headset but wouldn't reveal Raphael's status until the elder brother arrived with a gunshot wound to the left shoulder. The two turtles made off to the lab where they could better tend to it. Molly put her hands in her face as she attempted to quell the storm of her racing mind. April whispered soothing words to the typically resilient psychologist. When Raphael and Donatello joined the rest in the living room, Splinter handed Molly a cup of tea. She squeezed the vessel in her hand as she stared at the steaming liquid.

"I'm sorry, everyone, for the trouble I have brought to this family." She finally murmured.

"Molly-" April began to protest.

"No...I didn't see everything clearly." The brunette confessed weakly. "I knew something was off with Lexa but I never could have imagined the degree of betrayal she would bring upon us. I should have been more diligent."

"Tch. It's not like things like this don't happen to us all the time." Raphael pointed out. "Don't worry 'bout it."

"I owe you all my life and my freedom." Molly looked at the mixed group of friends.

"That's nothing, Molly-O. You're family!" Michelangelo waved her humility off.

"Yes." Leonardo agreed giving her a smile. "Family."

Biting her bottom lip, Molly stared back at the cup of warm liquid, trying not to shake it as a wave of emotion struck her. She understood why April's devotion to the turtles remained steadfast for all of these years. She was simply honored by their loyalty before but their declaration of allegiance to the point that they took her into their clan moved her beyond words.

"What are your plans now, Molly?" April inquired.

"I have connections with an underground agency that is trying to fight for mutant/alien rights. They can set me up with a new identity whenever I need it. But first...I need to knock down this agency. I have enough information to bring it to its knees." She took a sip of the tea. "EPF, on the other hand, will take much more time and effort to dismantle."

"How can we help?" April inquired. The two women smiled at each other.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Sorry it's so short. I wanted to get something out and I didn't want to go deeply into the process of taking down the agency just yet. They need to recuperate . I'm hoping for some bonding time with Leatherhead in the next chapter and some brotherly bonding as well. I have some ideas in the works. ;)**


	11. Down Time

**Down Time**

 **Raphael POV**

Just like I always knew, that Allie/Lexa bitch was no good. She led them straight to Casey's grandmother's house and destroyed it. Strike one. She put my family in danger. Strike two. She hurt Molly. Strike three. I guess you can say Molly's become part of the family and no one messes with our family. That bitch better watch her back. I'm not even the one she should be worryin' about. She's even got April angry and everybody knows that's the worse thing anybody can do.

 **Third Person POV**

It had been a couple of weeks since the farmhouse attack and Molly began to hide out at the lair. She resided in Donatello's room for the time being while the resident genius slept on the cot or at the computer in the lab which was really no different from his normal place of sleeping. A late night trip to her apartment enabled her to collect the essentials and most treasured possessions. EPF and the Agency were looking for her and she could not allow them to capture her again. Staying at April's put the redhead at risk and Molly was adamant about keeping her friend safe.

With a heavy heart, she began the process of changing her appearance so she could still go out without drawing the attention of her enemies. She dyed her hair a teal color and cut it in the style of a pixie cut. An aggressive diet dropped her from a healthy weight of 125 to 115 much to April's disapproval. She explained that she had to change her appearance no matter the risks. She forgoed her professional style for a more casual style of dress. Her glasses were traded in for contacts. The first time the brothers saw her new appearance, they were shocked at how different she looked. She looked years younger.

April came to the lair one day with a bottle of Maker's Mark for Molly. The former-brunette greeted her and they took to the couch for a serious discussion. Molly mixed the whiskey into two cups of hot toddy and handed April a mug. The turtles were off on patrol and Master Splinter was meditating in his room.

"Lexa came by the shop looking for you." April murmured as she took a sip.

"She didn't harass you, did she?" Molly frowned. She was beginning to regret ever letting her enter her life.

"No. She said she needed to speak with you. I told her that you spirited away to Guatemala." They chuckled over there drinks. "Have you heard anything from the 'resistance'?" Molly frowned over her mug.

"They sent be an e-mail before they went dark. They've been compromised by something...or someone. I'm afraid it might be her..." The psychologist took another sip. "Even though I never spoke of them to her, who knows if she ever followed me to a secret meeting? Anyway...They'll be back up when it's safe. This could take anywhere from months to years, of course."

"How is it staying here?"

"As normal as living with teenage mutant ninja turtles can be." Molly replied, gazing into her mug. "They have all been accommodating. I'm starting to consider stopping the sessions. I'm getting too close to them and it's getting more difficult to maintain a sense of professionalism when they have seen me at my most vulnerable."

"That doesn't mean you can't advise them." April offered. "Just because you don't feel you can be their psychologist; doesn't mean you can't be a friend. You can still utilize your psych knowledge to help them."

"You're right." Molly sighed. "I just don't know what to do with myself now that I'm in hiding. I don't even know who I am anymore. I spent all of those years with the Agency. I dedicated my life to them and now...I lost the very thing I defined myself as..."

"Maybe you can train with me. I have been working with Master Splinter for a little while now. I could use a sparring partner." She offered.

"You know what? That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Chatter came from the sewers as boys returned from their patrol. "Sounds like it was a good night." Michelangelo appeared first and made a beeline to the couch.

"April! What brings you here?" He asked with a big grin growing on his lips.

"Just having a drink with Molly." Was the reply. The other brothers came in and approached the couch as Mikey grabbed April's mug to give it a whiff.

"What is that?" He inquired.

"It's a hot toddy." Molly replied with a smirk. "Something you boys are too young to enjoy."

"Mikey!" April frowned as he took a sip.

"Bleeeecccck!" He wrinkled up his beak. "What's in it?"

"Some mighty fine whiskey." Molly took a sip from own mug. "Brings me back to the good old college days."

"And here I took ya for a wine and spritzer girl." Raphael smirked in, resting his forearms on the back of the couch.

"Oh, please!" The teal-haired beauty rolled her eyes. "Maybe when I was in high school."

"I thought it was midori sour." April smiled, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand."

"That, too." Molly grinned, finishing her mug. "I was a light weight back then."

"Would you like another?" The redheaded offered.

"I've got nothing better to do."

"Why don't we take it to Casey's?" April suggested.

"Sure."

"'Ey, I'm comin', too." Raphael said standing straight. "I haven't see that knucklehead fer a couple of weeks now."

"Raph." Leonardo began reproachfully.

"Why don't we all go?" April suggested.

"Yeah! Let's keep this night going!" Michelangelo cheered.

"I don't know." Leonardo sighed.

"Come on, Leo. Get that stick outta yer ass and have some fun!" Raphael rolled his eyes, received a glare from the elder turtle.

"Donnie?" Leonardo looked to the brains of the bunch.

"It couldn't hurt. We _have_ finished patrol a bit early." Was the reply. The leader puffed out another sigh.

"Fine but we get home at a decent hour. We're not skimping on training just because we stayed out too late."

"We probably won't even stay out that long." Donatello waved his hand.

"Besides, we have Molly with us. She'll make sure we'll behave." Michelangelo chimed in

* * *

Molly and Casey Jones sat across from each other at the coffee table; one eying the other. The room was quiet as they glowered at each other. Michelangelo was biting his nails. Raphael stood by Casey side with a smug grin on his face. Leonardo stood behind Michelangelo with his face in his palm as he shook his head. Donatello rubbed his chin in fascination as April stood behind Molly with a knowing smile.

"Yer bitin' off more than you can chew, girlie." Casey slurred.

"Hmph." She poured whiskey into two shot glasses. "I can do this all night." She put the bottle down as they each lifted the shots and downed them in one gulp, slamming the shot glasses on the table.

"Damn, Molly-O, that's the eighth shot!"

"Keep 'em coming." Molly demanded, taking a drink of water as Casey took his turn to pour and did a sloppy job of it.

"Hold yer horses." He growled as he clumsily put the bottle down. They downed the next shot.

"You sure you can handle one more?" Molly inquired with a touch of a slur to her own speech; her cheeks flushed from the alcohol as she poured them another one. She took another drink of water.

"Yer goin' down, O'Shea." Casey declared they both took another shot. He began to sway and Raphael's grin started to fade.

"Hey man." He slurred, putting a hand on his shoulder. He had a few beers himself. "Ya sure ya wanna keep goin'?"

"What's the worst that can happen?" Casey reach for the bottle but missed. His depth perception failed him as he tried again, grabbing the air in front of the bottle. With a hiccup he looked at Molly, seeing three teal-haired versions of her. "You can call a truce if ya want. I'll go easy on ya!"

"Sure." Molly grinned, clearly holding her composure a lot better but not wanting to hurt his pride. "I owe you one." She could feel April's hand on her shoulder giving her an approving squeeze.

"It's a tie!" Michelangelo declared, raising his arms in the air. April took a seat beside Casey as he hiccupped. He put an arm around her. Raphael moved over to his older brother and gave him a punch to the arm.

"Ya havin' fun yet, Fearless?" He boomed. Leonardo threw him a disapproving look.

"I'm surprised you can hold that much liquor." Donatello admitted to Molly who offered a crooked smile.

"Blame it on the genes. The Irish and the Koreans are known for their drinking." She slurred softly before adding in an Irish accent, "There is ne'er a wise man who can drink an O'Shea under the table!" She drank her glass of water empty.

"You've been drinking water all night." The genius turtle noted. "A drinking tactic?"

"Hydration is key to avoiding a hangover." She grinned. "Taken from a page from Molly O'Shea's Guide to Drinking."

"I think we've overstayed our welcome." Leonardo finally announced, glancing at the clock. "It's three and we still need to train in the morning."

"What a buzzkill!" Michelangelo whined.

"I'll give you a call." Molly murmured to April as Casey snored beside her. "Thanks for tonight."

"I'll talk to Master Splinter about you joining in our sessions." April said as she tried to heave her sleeping man up. "Come on Casey! Time for bed!" He blearily woke up and allowed her to guide him toward the bedroom.

"Oh, you're up for some of the Case-man?" He grinned and delivered playful nip to her neck, making the redhead jolt.

"Casey Jones!" She shouted with a laugh. "Good night, guys."

They all stated their good nights before exiting through the window with Donatello leading the way. Molly took in a deep breath through her nose and stretched her arms up over her head. The cool air felt nice against her skin. Giggles emitted from bedroom window and she noticed purple clad terrapin tensing before making his way up the fire escape. The rest followed suit all the way up to the roof. She half listened absent-mindedly to the banter between the brothers as her eyes fell on the city below. It was nice to be outside for once. She shook herself from her thoughts when she realized Leonardo was speaking to her.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She inquired.

"Will you be okay to run on the roof? We can go on ground." He offered.

"Perhaps the roof would be a poor choice. My coordination is a bit compromised." Molly admitted.

"Baaah! The roofs faster!" Raphael growled as he lifted her up and over his shoulder in a fireman carry before taking off to the next rooftop. Leonardo called after him, his voice laced with exasperation.

"You're crazy!" Molly laughed with a shake of her head.

"Does he look mad? I bet steam is comin' from his ears!" The mischievous terrapin chuckled.

"Are you trying to get him angry?"

"Sometimes I like it."

"Really? Because I recall you storming off quite a few times after a fight."

"Aaaah, he's usually bein' a prick. 'S like he's tryin' to say the wrong thing on purpose to make me go away..."

"I think it goes both ways." Molly murmured. Raphael stopped after jumping the seventh rooftop and gingerly put her down.

"Yeah. Maybe." They watched as the other three quickly caught up, a frowning Leonardo kept his anger at a simmer.

"Are you finished?" He inquired of his grinning brother.

"Sure. Let's take to the streets." Raphael gave his brother a light punch to the arm before heading down the fire escape.

"Is it just me or has Raph been acting weird lately?" Michelangelo inquired of his brother in a low voice.

"I noted subtle changes since we escaped the farmhouse." Donatello added. "Leo, you too. You've been off."

"Enough standing around." Leonardo made for the fire escape. The other two looked at each other. Molly followed the leader with a quirked brow.

"Something tells me you're hiding something." She whispered out of earshot of the younger brothers. He gave her a sideways glance and said nothing. He could feel her eyes boring into him.

"Would you, please, stop staring?" He hissed.

"You are free to hide things from me but you can't keep this from your brothers forever. You need to trust them more." She finally said, giving him a pat on the shoulder before making her way down the fire escape.

The rest of the trip home was full of laughter, a reproachful Leonardo attempting to keep everyone quiet and the soothing spring air. The chatter dulled to hushed conversation for fear of waking Splinter. They pawed through the darkness until a blinding light came on.

"Oh, Shell..." Leonardo breathed under his breath as their Master approached them with the deepest of scowls.

"Might I ask where all of you have gone to so late in the night?" The rat inquired without inflection.

"We were at Casey's, Sensei." Raphael slurred. Donatello slapped himself in the face. Meanwhile, their father was sniffing the air.

"Have you been drinking, my son?" He asked.

"Well-no-that is-..." The hothead of the family lowered his head knowing very well his father knew the answer and lying was pointless at this point.

"One hundred flips."

"Right now? But I-"

"NOW!" The master struck his walking stick on the floor and off his son went to the dojo to begin his punishment; cursing under his breath. "You two." He eyed the younger brothers.

"We didn't drink, sensei." Donatello spoke up.

"Yeah! We only watched them drink!" Michelangelo chimed in.

"Fifty flips. Go!" He ordered and the other two went after their sibling, now-nauseated after five flips.

"Perhaps I should go..." Molly finally spoke up.

"No, Miss O'Shea." Splinter raised a hand, fixing his dark eyes on her. "You are a guest in our home for as long as you need, but I do ask that you try to avoid being a bad influence to my sons."

"Of course..." She murmured, humbled by the repercussions of her choice to allow the turtles to tag along.

"Please, Sensei. It was my fault." Leonardo spoke up, eyes already cast down in shame.

"As a leader, it is your responsibility to keep a careful eye on your brothers, especially when they give in to mischief. You have done well to bring them and Miss O'Shea home unseen and unharmed." He stated looking over his son.

"Yes." Leonardo closed his eyes.

"150 flips. Go!" With a quick bow, his eldest son joined his brothers in the dojo. The sound of groaning and retching soon followed with a SPLAT to complete the Concerto of a Drunken Raphael came from the dojo. His brother's groaned in response.

"Ugh! Gross, Raph!" Michelangelo's nauseous voice sounded from the dojo. Splinter's ears twitched as he shook his head.

"Kids..." Came out with a sigh as he made his way back to his room.

"Master Splinter." Molly spoke up. He paused and looked over at the nervous woman.

"I'm...I'm sorry for taking your hospitality for granted and for not being a stronger role model. To be honest...I haven't been doing anything to prove that I am someone to look up to these last few weeks..." She confessed.

"Miss O'Shea," He turned to face her. "You are in a transition. Like the caterpillar locked in a cocoon, you are vulnerable and there is no promise you will come out unharmed. It is an uneasy process in which you must give in to time but if you learn patience within yourself and allow yourself to ride through the storms; then you, too, can burst from your cocoon and spread new wings that can take you much farther than you ever dreamed." She locked eyes with the elder and they both offered each other a warm smile.

"Thank you."

"Perhaps you would honor me with your presence during their training this morning. It begins in four hours." He offered as he began to retire to his room.

"Yes." Molly fought the temptation to sleep off some of the whiskey and grabbed the mop and a bucket.

* * *

Molly sat in seiza beside Splinter as she watched the brothers spar one another. While the younger three were sluggish from a lack of sleep, Leonardo maintained impeccable form. This, of course, served as a great disadvantage to the hung over Raphael who happened to be paired up with him. After the tenth time of being knocked back on to his shell, Splinter stopped the sparring and ordered his sons to sit. They sat in front of their father as directed.

"Your training ends early today." He announced with a stern expression. "You have learned the effects of which the body undergoes without proper rest. If you intend to make foolish decisions, you must be prepared to face the repercussions. Your enemy will not hesitate to strike simply because you are not fighting at your best. All but Leonardo are dismissed." His sons bowed and rose to their feet. The brothers glanced at their leader before leaving the dojo. Splinter turned his attention to Molly. "Miss O'Shea. April has been speaking with me of the possibility of training you."

"Hm. She just suggested it to me last night." Molly furrowed her brows. "I suppose she ran it by you first?"

"As a matter of fact, she did." He gestured to Leonardo. "I would like to see what you know so far."

She hesitated, looking at the younger student who clearly had more experience in this than she had. Though she was well-versed in Tae Kwon Do, it was rare that she ever had to utilize it. Even practicing forms daily could not compare to daily combat. She found that out during her spar with Raphael. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and faced the turtle. They both bowed before taking defensive stances. No one moved and it was then that she realized he was waiting on her.

 _Here goes nothing…_

She started of by stepping forward on one foot with a quick step of the other as the first foot shot forward in a kick that she pushed with her hips. He blocked with his forearm with a touch of a smile on his lips. The power behind the kick was not what he expected from her but it wasn't going to do any damage to him. She stepped back and hoped from one foot to the other. He was still going to stay on the defensive. She jumped into a flying kick. He caught her foot and made to bring her down to the ground. As he pulled, she used the momentum to swing and elbow down across his jaw. She hit the ground and he stumble a step.

Rubbing his jaw, he stood slowly. She immediately jumped to her feet. Still no movement from him. With an exasperated sigh, she pivoted on her left and kicked with her right foot to which he blocked. Immediately following the flow of her first kick, she kicked up with her left foot; her right foot right behind it for a double kick. Blocked. The moment her left foot hit the floor, she spun in a 360 and swept her left lower to give her the momentum she needed behind the right foot to connect it with his flank. He took the hit and leaned to the side. Molly shook her head.

"My turn." He finally murmured. He moved so quickly, she barely had time to dodge out of the way of his side kick. He swung another up to which she blocked with a cut down kick, but the power behind his knocked her back on to her butt. She scrambled to her feet and stood in a defensive stance again. He spun to his right side and threw an elbow back. She stepped back and blocked while he pivoted and brought his other arm swinging from the left. She lifted a leg up to block. He slid his foot forward and swept her standing leg out from under her when her other leg was in midblock. She tumbled back with a blink.

"Enough." Splinter spoke up. "Sit." They both followed his directions and sat in front of him. "Miss O'Shea, you appear to favor the use of kicks."

"I was trained in Tae Kwon Do since I was a young girl. It comes more naturally to me." She reasoned.

"It would be wise for you to learn how to use your fists as well." The master stated. "When your reflexes rely solely on your legs, you will not be as efficient with a weapon."

"A weapon?" The teal-haired woman quirked a brow.

"If you are to defend yourself, you may need to use something that is around you as a weapon and you will want to know how to best use it." He continued.

"What is this really about?" Molly inquired. Leonardo remained quietly listening.

"This is about learning how to defend yourself with the ways of the ninja."

"You're kidding me, right?" She stood abruptly, narrowing her brows. "This has April written all over it. I get that she wants to do that whole ninja thing but...come on. I was a psychologist. I was combat ready for whenever things got messy, but I'm not a stealthy, rooftop leaping warrior who takes down criminals."

"Then may I ask, Miss O'Shea, who are you now?" The sensei inquired. The psychologist pursed her lips, unable to answer. "You needn't decide at this moment what you want to do. I am merely giving you an option." He finally stood up and approached her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Your dedication to my sons has been a true honor. I would be happy to assist you on your journey to finding who you are now. Perhaps these set of skills will be of use to you when you should decide to take down the Agency. I urge you to think on it." He stepped out of the dojo, leaving Molly to brood over her choices.

"What have you got to lose?" The blue clad terrapin finally spoke up, rising on to his feet.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know. I don't see how I'm going to manage on 'finding myself.' God! What a cliché issue to have. I can't even get you to open up."

"Something did happen at the farmhouse." Leonardo blurted out. The moment the word left his lips he clamped his mouth shut. _Why on Earth did I say that?_ They stared at each other in silence. "I'm...going to go to sleep. I'm not thinking right."

"Now that you mention it, when was the last time you actually slept a good amount?" She inquired, concerned about his tired state. He simply sighed.

"I don't know." Was the reply.

"Don't you have anyone that you can confide in? I get you want nothing to do with my help but you need to have a hardcore venting session or something!"

"Vent about what? Your manipulative ex-girlfiend? The change in my brother's behavior? The lack of sleep I've been getting? I'm not having a mental breakdown. I'm just tired. Why don't you focus on yourself before you focus on me?" He turned to leave the dojo but halted in his steps. "I didn't mean any offense. Right now, whining about my feelings is going to get me no where fast."

"It might get you a good night's sleep." Molly offered with a shrug.

"I don't think so."

"Fine." She rubbed her face in frustration. "You think I should focus on myself? Let's talk about that spar session."

"What about it?" He quirked an eye ridge.

"You were studying me throughout the first half. That's why you didn't attack. Then when you did, you held back."

"You can't learn if I knock you out."

"You're in on this, too? This whole Make-Molly-a-ninja scheme?" She slowly brought her arms over her chest. They eyed each other in silence before he finally shrugged.

"April might have mentioned it."

"Why?" She implored.

"You're going to get cabin fever if you stay here. It's unreasonable to expect you to hide here without being able to go topside. If you can tap into some Ninjutsu skills, it may be safer for you."

"That punishment wasn't only about the curfew and Raph's drinking, was it?"

"Our father had a long talk with us." The terrapin frowned. "We should have been more careful with you when we went to Casey's. If any of Bishop's men found you...We don't know what EPF wants with you but if Bishop personally picked you up from the farmhouse, then it can't be good."

"Hence the drastic change to my appearance..."

"It won't matter if you're out and about with us. That by itself will raise suspicions."

"You make a valid point." Molly looked away and chewed on her bottom lip. With a slow exhale, she returned her gaze to Leonardo. "Say I give it a shot, then what?"

"Then your training begins tomorrow."

* * *

 **Author's note:** **I finished this chapter while trying to keep awake enough so I could post it. So...typos are likely to happen. Sorry. I'll fix it later. I was aiming for more bonding with the turtles but these stories just do what they want. Hopefully the turtle fluff will allow me to write them in the next chapter. I am also hoping to bring Leatherhead back. We shall see.**


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